Empire
by fyd818
Summary: There is a story that has spanned thousands of years, one of a city that was lost to the sea. But as Expedition Atlantis is about to discover, the great city's story is just beginning. . . AU RononTeyla, Sheppard/Weir .:On Hiatus:.
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I do not own _Stargate: Atlantis_, nor will I _try_ to lay claim to it. That would put me in a lot of trouble with the fans, not to mention the authorities. (Though, if I did own _Atlantis_, Ronon and Teyla would be happily married with two pretty babies and a dog.) I am making no monetary gain from this venture, so please don't sue me!

Summary: There is a story that has spanned thousands of years, one of a city that was lost to the sea. But as Expedition Atlantis is about to discover, the great city's story is just beginning. . . AU RononTeyla

Rating: T

Pairings: Ronon/Teyla, some Sheppard/Weir

Warnings: Violence

Spoilers: _Rising_; _Michael_

Title: _Empire_

Author: fyd818

Part 1/?

**Dedication:** To _Dia.Dahling_, for keeping me writing even when I hit the dreaded writer's block. And to _Mama Jo_, who always helps me make my work worthy of being posted. -hugs- Love you both!

Author's note: I have _always_ wanted to do an AU fic like this, ever since the first season of _Atlantis._ Of course the characters and plotline has changed over the years, but it's still the same basic story I thought of way back when. I know the prologue is very confusing, but I promise it'll all make sense in time! I hope you enjoy this story, and thanks for checking it out!

**"Empire"**

_fyd818_

* * *

"_. . .in a single day and night of misfortune, the island of Atlantis disappeared into the depths of the sea." _—Plato, 360 B.C.

**

* * *

**

-Prologue-

Huddled in the very back of the ship, Janus tried to keep what was left of his belongings safe and dry. It was hard to do, however, since great waves battered the ship, knocking it about in the water. It was hard to breathe: clouds of ash dirtied the air, even this far away. He had no clue where he was going – just away from Atlantis.

_Atlantis_. For the first time, he allowed himself to grieve all the knowledge, splendor, and _people_ lost with the great city. When he'd discovered the coming problems, he'd tried to implement some things that would keep the city safe. . . But he wasn't sure he'd succeeded. So many things had started happening at once, he'd rushed through the last of his plans, and he couldn't be certain he'd gotten everything right. That he'd managed to save Atlantis.

Janus sighed. He'd never know. There was no going back – not in his lifetime, at least. Hopefully future generations would be able to return. Hopefully there would be something _there_!

"Land ahead!" called one of the men posted at the front of the boat.

Drawing in a sharp breath, Janus finally lifted his head. Squinting hard through the twilight and ash cloud, he was just able to see the glitter of lights on the horizon. Hope blossomed in his chest. For so long he'd been afraid he would die in the water, without a chance to pass on Atlantis's story to someone – anyone. Atlantis needed to survive. Her story needed to be told, so future generations could find their ancient home and return her to how she used to be.

"Egypt," the woman sitting next to Janus whispered.

He smiled tiredly. Thank goodness he'd managed to save his clairvoyant friend. Her eyes did not see, but she saw things far greater than those whose eyes still functioned. "Will we be safe there?"

Monica bowed her head, hands clutching her shawl closer to her body. "Yes," she said. "We will be safe."

Janus sighed. He wasn't sure he could trust her, because she'd been close to hysterical since she'd first Seen Atlantis being destroyed by the Cataclysm. Whether he could trust Monica or not, they were going into Egypt now. Hopefully someone – anyone! – there would listen to him.

And, hopefully, he'd be able to find places to hide his clues. _Atlantis will rise again_, he vowed to himself. _I may not see it, but Atlantis will once more be a great power in this world._

With Monica's help, maybe the plan formulating in his head had hope of success.

_-To Be Continued-_


	2. Proposition

Please see first chapter for disclaimer, rating, warning, pairings, etc.

Part 2/?

**-Chapter 1-**

_Proposition_

Professor Teyla Emmagan critically examined this semester's offerings. Her classroom, only half full, seemed to be comprised of two different groups. One – by far the minority – were the heartily devoted. These were the proud few who had a true passion for archeology, who were willing to go to the ends of Earth to search for knowledge, truth, _history_. They wanted to brave the elements, the impossible terrain, the dangerous (usually poisonous, and sometimes deadly) animals; to find the treasure trove of knowledge waiting to be discovered.

The other group contained the ones who had seen the _Indiana Jones_ movies a few too many times. They were the treasure hunters, who thought archeologists were people running around with bullwhips and guns – fighting Nazis and dangerous natives for gold and jewels beyond the imagination.

Teyla could say from personal experience that archeology wasn't that much of a novelty. She did not own a bullwhip, though she could confess to owning a gun. But it wasn't to fight Nazis – it was of sentimental value. She'd never used the thing, and never planned to use it. On anything _human_, anyway. Her office computer, on the other hand. . .

"Ladies and gentleman!" she said. Her brisk tone immediately called the class to order. Twenty-five pairs of eyes solemnly focused on her, as if they all realized the rumors were true and she _did_ run a stern class. "Welcome to Archeology 101. No, this is not a joke, please don't laugh. I was not the one who chose to name this class. Apparently The Powers That Be who make up these class names have decided to sacrifice authenticity at the alter of efficiency." She rolled her eyes; this earned a few stifled giggles. Glaring over top of her small reading glasses at the offenders, she swiftly silenced them. "Now then. I believe in being entirely truthful with my class, so there are a few things you should know before we get to the really good stuff. The first of these things is very simple. Archeology itself is not like you see in the _Indiana Jones_ movies. I must confess a certain fondness for the films, so please don't get me wrong. But we aren't constantly running around fighting Nazis and discovering fabulous treasures."

She could already see the majority's interest tapering. Interesting: this had to be a new record. All that remained was seeing how many of them would decide to stick it out – just in case.

"Now then." Turning to face the huge whiteboard taking up half the front wall, she reached into her skirt pocket and withdrew a black felt-tipped pen. Five years of teaching had helped her learn – after her very first day, even – that these things had a nasty tendency to disappear. She brought her own. "Here is the second thing you need to know. Archeology comprises of three percentages: ten percent field work, twenty percent research, and seventy percent paperwork."

Another round of giggles rustled through the class. She looked over her shoulder, one eyebrow arching. "You think I'm kidding?" Turning, she reached under her desk for the large box – which had once housed the brand-new ceiling fan still sitting in pieces on her living room floor – she'd put there earlier. Hefting it, she let it drop with a firm _thud!_ on the surface of her desk. "_This_ is the paperwork resulting from my most recent season in Egypt."

Jaws began to drop. Eyes widened to the approximate size of saucers. A couple of people actually turned pale.

"Now then. I know most people have a phobia about paperwork. I do, myself. But this is all part of it." Leaning a hip against the corner of her desk, Teyla earnestly looked from face to face. "I know this seems like a lot. But I can guarantee you – the wealth of knowledge, the sheer _fun_ you have on that ten percent of time you spend on the dig – is well worth the trouble."

It really _would _be interesting to see who would stick with her for the semester.

**-Teyla's Office, University of Chicago: Oriental Institute-**

Teyla shoved the door leading into the waiting room open with her rear. Awkwardly balancing her huge box of paperwork, she maneuvered herself into the room and allowed the door to thump shut behind her.

Her secretary, a lovely woman named Marie, looked up from her computer. "There's someone waiting in your office," she said cheerfully.

Dropping her box on the floor in the corner – nearly taking out the potted plant there in the process – Teyla whipped off her reading glasses and stared at her assistant. "_What_?"

Marie blinked rapidly in surprise. "It's not a student," she said. "Looks like another professor."

Teyla reached up to rub at the ache developing at the front of her head. "Um – did they leave a name?"

A shrug. "No. But she said she knew you."

_She._ Teyla flipped through her mental Rolodex, trying to narrow down which _she_s would know to find her here. After that, she tried to narrow it down to the acquaintances who weren't off on archeological excursions of their own. "Hmm. Thank you, Marie. If someone shows up with a question – I'm in a meeting." _Hopefully not a long one._

"Yes, Professor."

Teyla turned the knob while at the same time pushing the door open with her shoulder. She'd been bugging the janitor for three years to fix her door – it never got fixed. She very deliberately ignored the figure seated in the guest chair as she closed the door. In fact, she waited until she'd settled into her (uncomfortable) computer chair behind the desk before she paid a lick of attention to the woman. "May I help you?"

Warm green eyes sparkled as the other woman leaned across the desk. "Dr. Elizabeth Weir."

Hesitantly, Teyla shook her hand. "Professor Teyla Emmagan."

"I know." Dr. Weir leaned back in her seat, one hand brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "I've read all your published papers."

Teyla pushed some file folders out of her way so she could lean her elbows against the scratched surface of her desk. "I'm afraid I can't say the same about you," she said.

She laughed. "It's fine," Weir replied. "I'm not as well-known in the archeological community. Anyway, I greatly admire all the work and research you've done over your time in Egypt. In fact – I think you're the best person to help me."

Horribly confused, Teyla rubbed her forehead, now faintly throbbing with a deceptive, ominous gentleness. "I'm sorry, Dr. Weir. I am very flattered by your compliments, and that you came to see me. Please forgive me for being ignorant and abrupt, but – how can I help you?"

Elizabeth leaned forward, her eyes impassioned. "I know you have no reason to believe me, to help me. Most people consider me a crack-pot nut, anyway." She let out her breath in a soft laugh. "This is going to sound so crazy to you."

"I won't laugh, I promise," Teyla responded. She was too curious now to let Weir go on with her enigmatic, tempting little hints.

Weir folded her hands in her lap as she leaned forward. "Okay. I've done a lot of work in what is left of the ruins of Crete, Santorini, and the surrounding islands. There are many theories that the great cataclysm that occurred there is the same one that Plato cited in his stories of Atlantis."

Teyla nodded: as a student of archeology, she knew the stories.

"Now, _I_ think they're right – at least, partly. After having worked in Crete and Santorini for so many years, I've familiarized myself with the area and local legends, stories, and the like. I've also found some artifacts that have given me reason to believe Atlantis _did_ exist, and was destroyed – or at least hidden – by the same cataclysm that destroyed the civilization on Santorini." Elizabeth's eyes burned brightly with sincerity and enthusiasm for her discovery.

She'd heard a lot of unusual theories on Atlantis during her life – who hadn't? – but something about Dr. Weir's story caught Teyla. Leaning forward, she said: "What did you find?"

Elizabeth leaned forward to pull a briefcase into her lap. Turning it to face Teyla, she released the latches and opened it.

Cradled by a nest of foam sat two objects. The one on the left was of a figurine, mostly intact except for a missing foot and a chip of stone lost off the right cheek. The little statue was dressed in clothes like those most people thought the Atlantians had worn – except for an elaborate collar around its neck, which still had flakes of bright blue and orange paint on it. Teyla nearly choked. "That's an Egyptian neck piece," she breathed. "The pharaohs and other members of the royal court wore those. . ." She trailed off, unable to finish.

Weir nodded, a broad grin on her lips. "That's not all," she said. With one finger, she touched the tablet settled on the other side of the case. "I can't decipher much of the writing, but from what I _have_ been able to read, this tablet talks about the 'impending doom' of Atlantis, and their planned escape route – to _Egypt_."

Teyla fell back in her seat. "Egypt – and Atlantis. . ." She lifted her hand to her mouth in shock. Before her sat proof – unsubstantiated, but proof nonetheless – that there was a link between the lost Atlantis and the Egypt which she'd been investigating for so many years.

Weir smiled. "Do you see why I wanted your help?" she asked. "You are America's foremost Egyptologist. You've spent a considerable portion of your life in Egypt, living among the people _and_ working on discovering her secrets. You know more things about the myths, truths, history, landmarks, and artifacts than some people learn in a lifetime." Now she was well and truly _begging_, and Teyla felt herself starting to give in.

"I'll have to find someone to take over my classes," she mused.

Elizabeth's smile widened.

"Who else do you have on the team?" Teyla asked. She wanted to know who she would be working with before she said yes or no.

Weir's smile faltered. "At the moment? Me, of course. And I have a friend of mine, who is _fantastic_ with technology and science. He typically doesn't assist archeological ventures, but since he's my friend, and he's made a lot of advances in technology that will help us on land and in the water – that is, if Atlantis _is_ underwater – he agreed to come along to help." She drew in a deep breath.

Teyla thought back over that sentence. Only two people so far – not a huge expedition, and certainly not one like she was used to working with. But, _if_ Weir was right and Atlantis _did_ exist, and was within their grasp. . .

It could mean throwing her whole decorated, much-admired career down the drain. Following Dr. Weir could bring her name to ruin, and she could be called a quack for the rest of her life.

But she would take the chance. After all, hadn't she entered the archeological field to make new discoveries and find the impossible?

"Dr. Weir," she said slowly, "it looks like we're going to Egypt."

_-To Be Continued-_

**TheWelcomeStranger**: Thank you! I really loved writing the prologue, and I'm very excited about this story. I hope you enjoy this chapter, and thank you so much for the review!

**Winchestergal78**: Thank you! I hope you do – and that I won't disappoint you through this story! The first in this chapter was really fun to write, so I hope you enjoy it – and this whole chapter! Thank you so much for the review!

**Hannah554**: Thank you! I'm really excited about this story, so I hope you continue to enjoy it! (I've got a fic trailer done, too – just have to post it! lol) I hope you enjoy this chapter, and thank you so much for the review!

**Bunnylass**: Wow, thank you! I'm really glad you enjoyed the prologue. Me too! I love Egypt and Atlantis – the stories from one, and the myths from the other. Here's the next update – I hope you enjoy it, that it doesn't disappoint! Thank you so much for the review!


	3. Old Friends

Please see first chapter for disclaimer, rating, warnings, pairings, etc.

Part 3/?

**-Chapter 2-**

_Old Friends_

"I don't have time for this," Teyla muttered. Tripping over the loose pieces of her ceiling fan was _not_ helping her speed-packing attempts. Too bad Dr. Weir had waited to approach her _after_ she'd just finished unpacking from her most recent season in Egypt.

Having a mental checklist wasn't the greatest in the world. She found herself running all over her small apartment, sometimes making two or three trips to retrieve something she'd forgotten on the last. She was trying to multitask – pack, change out of her dressy "professor" clothes, and eat a quick lunch. Teyla tossed a stack of folded shirts into her bag with one hand as she took another bite of her sandwich with the other. "My plane leaves in almost four hours," she muttered. "I'm supposed to meet Dr. Weir and her friend at the airport in less than forty minutes. I am _never_ going to make it."

Leaving a request with the woman from whom she rented the apartment, Teyla headed out. She really hadn't wanted to leave the pieces of her ceiling fan all over the floor – she'd warned Mrs. Casey of it, anyway, whether the old woman had heard or not – so she hoped she wouldn't have a lawsuit waiting for her when she came home. Sometimes having someone make it look like her apartment was still lived in when she went to Egypt was more trouble than it was worth.

To her shock, the traffic between her apartment building and the Chicago O'Hare airport was not _horrible_. She arrived at the front doors with almost three minutes to spare.

Elizabeth was waiting for her, waving as she came out the front doors. She helped Teyla collect her luggage from the trunk of the cab. After paying the driver, Teyla followed Weir into the airport. "I'm _so_ sorry I'm almost late," she apologized.

The doctor waved off her apology. "It's not a problem," she said. "I left my friend with his and my luggage – once we're all together, we'll go up to the check-in," she said. With her free hand, she fished around in her pocket for a moment before pulling out a ticket. "Here," she said. "Plane ticket. Don't worry about reimbursing me – it's the least I can do to thank you for being willing to come with me on this adventure."

Teyla sighed but acquiesced. "Thank you, Dr. Weir."

Her introduction to Dr. Rodney McKay was short, and almost painfully abrupt. The man was only a little taller than Teyla, with sharp blue eyes and short brown hair. His face seemed to be set in a constantly frowning expression. "Yes, yes, nice to meet you," he said. He shook her hand – once up, once down – and withdrew his hand. "Now then, if you'll excuse me, I'm well on the way toward the next brilliant discovery for science." He once more immersed himself in what was on the screen of the laptop he had balanced across his legs.

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "Come on, Rodney. We have to check in our luggage."

Rodney squinted up at them. "Luggage?"

"We're going to Egypt. Remember? We're looking for Atlantis."

"Right!" A few more taps on the keyboard, and then he slapped down the lid of his laptop. Stuffing it into the bag he slung over his shoulder, he jumped up and started sorting bags. "Don't know how I'm going to carry all this on my own," he muttered. "All this needs to go, but it'll be hard. . ."

Teyla and Elizabeth both jumped in to help him with his bags. The three worked their way through the crowds toward the baggage check-in, McKay keeping up a steady monologue the whole way. Finally, he asked a question. "What are we going to do when we get to Egypt?" he asked.

Elizabeth looked at Teyla. "Professor? You're the Egyptologist – I'll defer to you for all things having to do with our time there."

"Please, call me Teyla," she requested.

"Okay, then, Teyla – if you'll call me Elizabeth." She smiled. "Now then – how do you suggest we proceed in Egypt?"

Shifting one of Rodney's (heavy!) bags to her other hand, Teyla smiled her thanks for Elizabeth's deference. "First we'll check into the hotel," she said. "I know you're probably in a hurry to get started, but we'll have to deal with jet lag. I've booked us in a hotel close to the museum – we need to start there."

Elizabeth nodded. "Logical," she mused. She smiled ruefully. "I must admit, though, I _am_ anxious to get started."

Teyla grinned. "I'm the same way. But the museum is _huge_. We'll have to be ready for long days of work before we go in there."

"Fortunately, we're seasoned travelers," Elizabeth said.

Rodney snorted. "Speak for yourself," he said. "I'm not good at poking through dusty artifacts, I'll warn you."

"It's okay," Teyla told him. "We'll be looking through books, their lists of artifacts – including where they found them, when, and other relevant information – and asking a _lot_ of questions. Of course, there will be times when we'll have to go look at something up close. . ." She trailed off.

McKay groaned. "Hopefully we'll find what we're looking for right off," he sighed. "And I hope your hotel is the Four Seasons."

Elizabeth chuckled. "Good guess, Rodney."

He smiled all the way through the baggage check-in. Once past there, they went to wait for their plane to start boarding. "So, once we finish at the museum – then what?" he asked.

Teyla shook her head. "I can't be sure until we finish our research. If we find a lead – and we may not – we'll have to follow it. I'm fairly certain we're going to find _something_, though. After your discovery in Santorini, Elizabeth, there's bound to be something in Egypt that links back to Atlantis. Especially if what was written on the tablet was right."

"Which we think it is," Elizabeth interjected.

"Yes," Teyla agreed. "I'm guessing – at least at first – we can keep our focus on the areas along the coast of Egypt closest to where we _think_ Atlantis could be. It would make sense for whatever survivors there may have been to make port there."

"Then again," Elizabeth mused aloud, "there's the possibility that they could have gone off-course. After all, if it's true that the volcano eruption that destroyed Santorini is the same cataclysm that made Atlantis vanish, the air would have been clouded with ash, and the water would have been very choppy. It would be hard to steer ships through that."

"Hmm," Teyla said. "You could be on to something."

Rodney cleared his throat. "I have another question," he said. "There're only the three of us – right?"

"Ye-e-e-s," Elizabeth said slowly.

"By any chance, are you going to hire anyone else?" He sounded hopeful. "You know, the more people we have, the faster we'll get things done. . ."

Weir sighed. "I'm hoping to hire someone else in Egypt," she said. "Preferably, someone who knows a _lot_ about the local culture, myths, history, et cetera." She glanced at Teyla. "No offense," she said apologetically.

"None taken." She flipped through names in her mind, trying to think of someone she knew who would best fit the bill.

"Also, I'm hoping to find a good diver once we get to Crete," Elizabeth continued. "We'll have to have one if we need to do diving deep in the water – which is probable. Preferably, we'll also need to find someone who's familiar with the area." She, too, appeared to be trying to think of someone she knew.

Teyla sighed. "A lot of this we'll have to do on the spot," she said. It frustrated her, just a little – she liked to have everything all planned out before she left.

"Yes," Elizabeth agreed mournfully. "Hopefully we won't run into any problems."

**-Cairo, Egypt-**

Three Days Later

To Teyla, coming to Egypt was like coming home. As the daughter of a husband-and-wife Egyptologist team, she'd grown up in the area. She knew a lot of the locals – including some her mother would consider less than worthy of her company. She could get the people with her where they needed to go, without dilly-dally.

"Welcome to Egypt!" She had to almost yell over the general hubbub of the streets, which were packed.

Rodney was looking around. "You sure we came through here yesterday?" he asked.

Elizabeth chuckled. "Jet lag," she sighed. "Yes, Rodney! This is the marketplace. Granted, we were moving much faster last night. . ." She trailed off.

Teyla happily traded shouts with a few acquaintances, chuckling in between as she led her two friends through the crowd. "Selim said to tell both of you he'll give you things on discount," she said. "Don't believe him, the rascal." Selim was another friend she'd known since she was a little girl. They'd grown up together – Selim had been a basket boy, working for her parents on the dig. Once he'd grown up, however, he decided to turn his interests toward something a little more "profitable." "He's good for the local gossip, though," she said. "We might be able to find someone to help us through him." She made a mental note to discuss options with him later.

Downtown Cairo bustled with the who's-who of Egypt. Teyla stopped for few conversations, intent on reaching the museum as soon as possible to start their research.

The air-conditioned environment of the museum was a welcome change from the heat outside. Though the temperatures were easing due to the approach of winter, it was still swelteringly hot outside.

"Professor! Professor Emmagan!"

Teyla looked around, immediately spotting a familiar figure hurrying toward her. "Dr. Hawass!"

Zahi Hawass, head of the Antiquities Council at the museum (and as close as a grandfather), wrapped her in an exuberant hug, then kept hold of her shoulders as he backed off. "Teyla, my child, I am so excited to see you! I thought you were not going to return to Egypt until next season?"

She shrugged. "I was convinced to come back."

"Not hard to do, I hope," Zahi teased her. "Now then, who are these visitors you bring?"

"Drs. Elizabeth Weir, Rodney McKay – this is Dr. Zahi Hawass. He's head of the Antiquities Council here at the museum." Teyla smiled, happy to introduce her American friends to one of her Egyptian friends.

"Pleasure to meet you all!" Dr. Hawass enthusiastically shook hands with both Elizabeth and Rodney. "Now, what brings you to the museum? Sightseeing?"

"I'm afraid not," Teyla said, laughing. "Strictly business. Would it be possible for us to look through the records of all the antiquities you have here in the museum, as well as any research you may have on links between Egypt and other civilizations?"

"Yes, yes," Zahi said. "Come! We'll get you set up in the back." In less than fifteen minutes, he had all three set up in a quiet corner with piles of books and papers to look through. "If you need _anything_ else, just let me know," he told them before hurrying off to take care of his own business in the museum.

"And so we work." Teyla bent her head over the first list, carefully examining the entry for each artifact. She made a few notes in the notebook she'd brought with her, but for the most part nothing caught her eye.

Until. . . "Teyla Emmagan! Is it you?" The half-whispered exclamation from behind her made her jump. She knew that voice. . .

. . .Just as she knew the grinning face, topped by unruly black hair, immediately behind her right shoulder. "John? John Sheppard?!"

Snatching her up from her chair, he spun her in a hug. Putting her down, he grinned again. "Hey, lil' sis!" he said jokingly. "What're you doing here? I asked around, and was told I'd just missed you – that you wouldn't be back until next season!"

Teyla shrugged. "What can I say? I came back for a good cause." Turning, she faced the other two at the table. "Drs. Elizabeth Weir, Rodney McKay – I'd like you to meet Lt. Col. John Sheppard."

"Air Force, retired," he added while shaking hands. "Teyla and I grew up together here in Egypt. Our parents usually worked together on digs." He patted her shoulder. "She's like my little sister. We've gotten into a _lot _of trouble over the years."

"Retired?" Teyla asked, shocked. The last she'd heard, John had still been in the Air Force, flying planes and being happy. Just how long _had_ she been out of touch with him?

John's lips kinked ruefully. "They won't let me fly any more," he sighed. "I was in a helicopter crash a couple of years ago – it _really_ messed up my back. So rather than spend the rest of my career 'flying' a desk, I got an honorable discharge from the Air Force."

Teyla hugged him. "Oh, John, I'm so sorry," she said. She knew flying was her friend's passion.

"It's fine." John grinned at her, never one to be depressed for long. "If I hadn't retired, I wouldn't have met up with you again."

"Excellent point." Teyla glanced at Elizabeth, who was looking at Sheppard with a thoughtful gleam in her eyes. "Colonel – what brings you to Egypt?" she asked.

"Wanted to return to my old stomping grounds." He motioned to the surrounding walls. "I may have joined the Air Force, but Egyptology is my second love. Grew up with it, after all."

Weir narrowed her eyes at John, looking interested now. "So, you grew up in Egypt?"

"Yep. Spent the vast majority of my life here." He tipped his head to the side. "Why?"

A slow grin curled Elizabeth's lips. "Well, Colonel – how'd you like to join an archeological expedition that's searching for Atlantis?"

"Atlantis? Like Plato's lost city of Atlantis?" He looked at Teyla, who nodded. John looked back at Elizabeth, shrugged casually, and said: "Sure, I'm in. So, Expedition Atlantis – when do we leave?"

_-To Be Continued-_

**Author's note:** Dr. Zahi Hawass _is_ a real person (so, naturally, I don't own him! lol), and the real head of the Antiquities Council in Egypt. He's also one of my co-heroes in Egypt, alongside the great Barbara Mertz and Salima Ikram. I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

**Bunnylass**: Thank you! I've always wanted to do a story like this, combing all kinds of _Stargate_ myths and legends into an AU fic. I'm very glad you're enjoying it so far! For some reason, I've always had this picture of Teyla in my head as a professor, with the little glasses and such. And I thought Elizabeth would make a good Daniel-figure, though you're right – they'll show them! I wish I could be on the team, too – all kinds of exotic places, and the adventure, and the romance – it would be such fun! Thank you so much for the review, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

**CanadianHalliwell**: Your question is answered in this chapter – and, as well, another familiar face makes an appearance. Thank you so much for the review, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

**TeylaFan**: Thank you! I know, I was soooo nervous when I was working with Janus and Monica, afraid that it would be too hard to keep track of, and not be interesting enough. I'm glad you can easily picture Teyla as a professor with the little glasses – that was one of the first images that popped into my head when I thought of this fic! Wow, thanks! There are two familiar faces entering the picture in this chapter, and I promise your question will be answered soon, too. -wink- Thank you so much for the review, and I hope you enjoy this chapter! -hugs-

**SpaceMonkey0941**: That's okay! Really? Wow! Thanks! I was actually trying to channel a bit of SG-1, with some of the characters and a bit of the storyline. I wanted to combine most, if not all, of the _Stargate_ myths and legends into one story – I hope I succeed! LOL I'm really glad you're enjoying the story – I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint! Thank you so much for the review! -hugs-


	4. Mysterious Stranger

Please see first chapter for disclaimer, rating, warnings, pairings, etc.

Part 4/?

**-Chapter 3-**

_Mysterious Stranger_

"Thank goodness it's over!" Rodney groaned as they exited the museum almost eight hours later.

Teyla was tempted to chime in. "Well, it's over for _today_," she said instead.

This time John joined Rodney in groaning. "My eyes feel like they're crossed for good," the former added.

"You know better than anyone how much research is involved in archeology," Teyla told him. "We'll just have to keep searching until we find something."

"Which we will," Elizabeth said. She sounded like she refused to believe anything else. "Hopefully soon," she amended.

As they walked back through the marketplace, happy to be able to stretch their cramped and tired muscles, Teyla heard her name being called. "Sitt Teyla! Effendi John!"

"Selim!" she called back. Turning to John, who tossed a casual wave and grin to Selim, she said, "I really need to talk to him. Where are you staying?"

"Four Seasons," he replied instantly.

Relief poured through her. _Wonderful coincidence!_ "That's where we're staying, too. Would you mind escorting Elizabeth and Rodney back there? That way you can go ahead and freshen up," she told them. "And I don't want to bore you with local gossip, chit-chat, and haggling."

John laughed. "Trust me," he said, "this could go on for hours."

"Okay then, I vote for going back," Rodney said immediately.

"I'd be happy to take them," John said. "If you trust me – and if you don't mind?" He offered his arm to Elizabeth.

She smiled and took it. "Well, since you've offered so nicely. . ."

Teyla grinned. "I'll drop by to talk to you after I've visited with Selim," she promised Weir.

After another wave at Selim from John, they went their separate ways – Sheppard, Weir, and McKay to the hotel, and Teyla to talk to her friend.

"How have you been, Teyla, Heart of Egypt, my friend?" Selim asked.

"Very well, thank you." Leaning against the cart, she enjoyed the coolness of the shade compared to the hot Egyptian sun. "How has business been?" She smoothly switched to Arabic to follow his conversation, the transition as easy as breathing for her.

"Well, well. But it has not been long since you left. I hope there is not a problem?" He looked worried.

"No. It was not hard for a friend to talk me into coming back." Teyla laughed. "I don't know how long exactly I'll be here."

"Ahh." Selim looked satisfied. "Effendi John Sheppard I know. But your new friends – they are American?"

"Yes. Though the woman – Dr. Weir – has done a lot of archeological work herself. But not here in Egypt."

Selim nodded sagely. "I did not think they were from here," he said. "They did not seem to understand my greeting."

"This is their first trip to Egypt." Idly, Teyla flipped a strand of hair off her forehead. "I don't suppose you know of any good divers?" It was a long shot, she knew – after all, what diver in his right mind would work in Egypt, where the land was mostly desert?

A gleam entered her friend's eye. "Is there baksheesh?" he asked.

Teyla laughed. "If you find me someone, there will be a _lot_ of baksheesh. I promise I'll pay you well if you find me a good, experienced diver. We need one on our team – badly. But I wouldn't tell him that – you know, when you find someone." She'd learned long ago never to say _if_ to Selim. Saying _when_ made him feel more confident, and he was more likely to find the desired item or person.

Selim nodded. "Yes, yes, I will find you someone soon," he assured her. "You plan to investigate the Nile?"

She shook her head. "No. We will go elsewhere from here."

"Hmm." Selim nodded again. "Okay. I will find you a diver, and you will give me baksheesh."

"You rascal," Teyla said fondly. "Sounds like a fair deal to me."

Almost an hour later, Teyla finally returned to her hotel. She left a message with the concierge to bring all messages immediately to her room upon delivery, then went up to the room she and Elizabeth were sharing.

Her fellow archeologist had been at the hotel long enough to shower and change. She looked up from a thick hardback when Teyla came in. "What did your friend say?" Elizabeth asked.

Pulling off her sunglasses, Teyla tossed them onto the dresser as she went to her luggage to get some clean clothes. "Well, I've got him on the lookout for a diver," she said. "Though I doubt he'll be able to find one here in Egypt. There just isn't that much water around here – other than the Nile. And I doubt there are droves of people who want to dive in the Nile River."

Elizabeth chuckled. "Does your friend have a good track record?"

Teyla glanced at her incredulously. "Selim? Are you kidding? So far, he's found everything and everyone I've ever asked him to find. He's also got a deep pocket. I had to promise to pay him a _lot_ of baksheesh if he found someone."

Weir nodded thoughtfully. "I hope Selim finds someone with good credentials. We don't need some amateur along." She hesitated. "That sounded horrible."

Teyla shook her head. "No, it makes sense. The last thing we need is someone drowning himself – or herself – because they weren't experienced."

The warm water of her shower washed off the grime of the day, as well as Teyla's stress. Clean and happy, she dressed and went back to the bedroom, drying her hair with a towel on the way.

Elizabeth immediately stood from her chair when Teyla came in. There was an amused expression on her face as she held out a hotel envelope. "I guess your friend Selim is better than you thought," she said.

For a moment Teyla just stared at the envelope. _This is _impossible_, _she thought. Taking the envelope, she opened it and read the message. "Oh my," she said, falling backwards. She was lucky her bed was there to catch her. "Oh my," she said again.

A look of burning curiosity briefly convulsed Elizabeth's expression. "What?" she demanded. "Is there something wrong?"

Teyla looked up at her new friend. "I owe Selim a _lot_ of baksheesh," she said. "He found us a diver!"

Elizabeth's breath caught. "Who? When? Where?"

Teyla dropped her hand to her lap. "Selim didn't give me a name – but he said we'd know the guy when we saw him. Apparently our diver's requesting to meet us tomorrow at Shepheard's for an interview."

Weir thrust a pad of hotel stationary into Teyla's hand, along with a pen. "Hurry!" she said. "Send him a message, tell him yes!"

Laughing, Teyla gently pushed the pen and paper away. "I have to pay Selim, anyway," she said. "I should be able to catch him before the marketplace closes." Pulling on her shoes, she tucked Selim's note into her pocket and left Elizabeth in their room.

Less than half an hour later, she returned. "Noon at Shepheard's for tea," Teyla reported. "I tried to get him to tell me the man's name, but Selim wouldn't budge. He just assured me we'd recognize him when we saw him." Teyla slipped off her shoes and curled up in the other chair. "Oh! And Selim thanks us for our generosity, and hopes Allah blesses us with good husbands and many – children." She laughed at the expression on Elizabeth's face. "Don't worry, he says that to all the women."

"Oh." Elizabeth glanced out the window, where the sunset spread fiery red-gold rays across the horizon. "So – now we wait?"

"Now we wait," Teyla confirmed.

It would be a very long night.

**-Cairo, Egypt: Shepheard's Hotel-**

11:58 A.M.

"We are losing _so_ much time," Elizabeth muttered.

Teyla glanced at her watch. "It's still two minutes till noon," she said. "He has time to show up. Besides, we left Rodney and John working in the museum so we wouldn't have to lose _too_ much time with research. Don't worry, this isn't a race."

"He'd better not be late," Weir sighed. "If he is, I won't hire him. Irresponsible—"

"Excuse me? Dr. Weir, Professor Emmagan?"

Teyla twisted her torso to look behind her, from where the voice had come. She found she had to look up – _way up!_ – to see the face to which the voice (the deep, _nice_ voice!) belonged.

Intense green eyes looked at her from beneath eyebrows quirked in amusement. His strongly attractive face, framed by long dreadlocks (how did he dive with that hair?!), nicely complimented the rest of him, which boasted of the lean waist and powerfully-muscled shoulders of a swimmer. His lips, ringed by a neat beard, twitched. "Perhaps I have the wrong table—?"

Elizabeth was the first to find her voice. "You – must be the diver Selim was to send us?" Shaking herself slightly, she motioned to the chair across the table from her, to Teyla's left.

"Yes," he said as he sat down. Reaching out, he shook first Elizabeth's, then Teyla's, hands. "Specialist Ronon Dex, at your service."

"I'm Dr. Elizabeth Weir, the head of Expedition: Atlantis," Elizabeth said. "This is Professor Teyla Emmagan, my Egyptian expert."

Ronon nodded to each in turn. "Nice to meet you both," he said.

What he'd said earlier caught up to Teyla. "'Specialist'?" she inquired.

Dex grinned at her. "I wondered how long it'd take you to notice that. I was born and raised in Hawaii, and I served on a conservational team that did a lot of diving around the islands to keep track of the wildlife, underwater vents for the volcano, and such things," he said. "I was the leader of my unit – thus, 'Specialist.'"

He'd obviously caught Elizabeth's attention. Nodding slowly, she said, "How long have you been diving?"

"Ever since I was two." Fishing in his pocket, he pulled out a thickly folded sheaf of papers and handed them across the table. "Here's a list of where I've been, what I've done, and a number of references."

Teyla twisted to her right so she could read them, too. From what she could tell, Ronon Dex was a very experienced diver. He'd been on quite a number of archeological dives – including two, five years apart, in Crete. Most of his credits cited conservation work, but Teyla recognized a few of the names. There were some well-respected archeologists who apparently thought he was the best diver who'd ever worked for them.

A low whistle escaped Elizabeth's lips. "Wow," she said. "This is quite an impressive resume."

Ronon shrugged, looking distinctly embarrassed. "I love swimming and diving," he said. "If I could, I'd live in the water."

"What brought you to Egypt?" Teyla asked. It made no sense, such an accomplished diver coming to one of the driest places in the world.

He grinned engagingly at her. "Wanted to see the sights," he said. "Even though I love the water, Egypt seemed a good place to visit. It's one of the highest visited places in the world – for tourists, anyway. Besides, there's always the Nile if I decide I want to take a dip." He laughed, then sobered up. "And – I hurt my shoulder on my last dive, and the doc said no diving for six weeks. I needed to remove myself from areas of temptation." He looked embarrassed again. "I understand if you don't want to hire me for that reason, but. . ."

"How many weeks has it been?"

"Four." Ronon lifted his right arm and rotated his shoulder. The movement was clearly careful, but he seemed to have a full range of motion in it. "I can mostly move it again, but diving is my career. I don't want to mess it up – so I'm trying to be good and not dive."

Weir nodded. "It will probably be a while before we have to do diving, anyway," she murmured. "How do you feel about Santorini?"

Ronon brightened. "Really? I've worked around Crete a couple of times, but never Santorini. Is that where you're headed after here?"

Elizabeth smiled and nodded.

"Yes! I've always wanted to dive around Santorini, but I never found archeologists who wanted to, and tourists aren't exactly welcome to just jump in and start diving." He chuckled: a deep, rich resonance that was pleasurable to listen to, Teyla noticed. The sound made her smile.

Tapping her fingers on the sheaf of paper, Elizabeth asked, "Do you mind if I take this with me?" She needed to check some of his references.

Ronon nodded. "Sure."

"Excuse me." Elizabeth left the table and disappeared into the hotel, leaving Ronon and Teyla at the table alone.

After pouring him another cup of tea, Teyla rested an elbow on the table and propped her chin in her hand. "What's Hawaii like?" she asked.

Ronon smiled. "Beautiful. Mysterious. I don't know – it's hard to explain." He slowly stirred sugar into his cup, then looked up at her. "What about you? Where'd you grow up?"

Teyla leaned back in her chair, rubbing her arms self-consciously though it was sweltering out on the balcony. "Egypt has been home for my entire life, basically," she said. "My parents excavated here every year, so I grew up on a dig, around the people and the culture. After I grew up – I just stayed." She shrugged. "Usually, on the off-season, I teach at the University of Chicago's Oriental Institute. But Dr. Weir talked me into helping her with her expedition this year."

He nodded. "Sounds like you've had a pretty interesting life."

Avoiding his gaze, Teyla shrugged self-deprecatingly. "I suppose. But yours has been nothing to scoff at! You've spent most of your life in the water."

Now Ronon was the one avoiding her gaze. "It's beautiful underwater. Have you ever gone scuba diving?"

She nodded. "Once, when my parents took me on vacation to Florida. But that was several years ago."

Shifting in his seat, Ronon's green eyes – an unusual but brilliant color, Teyla noted lazily – lit with excitement for his subject. "It's like a whole other _world_ underwater. It's just – so hard to describe! There's so many types of sea life – dolphins, sharks, sting rays, manta rays, thousands of species of fish! Not to mention the coral reefs! And then there's age-old skeletons of sunken ships, which are amazing to swim through!" He drummed his fingers on the tabletop a couple of times. "Hmm. I'd love to take you diving sometime – I think you'd love some of the old shipwrecks I've found." He grinned. "What's _really_ fun is trying to figure out what happened to 'em."

Teyla wasn't exactly a water-loving person, but she was surprised to find she was willing to go on a dive if this man was the one taking her. He had a certain charm that appealed to her. He seemed to be so passionate and enthusiastic about what he liked, she found it hard to resist being drawn to the subject. "Sure," she said. "I think I'd like that."

"Excellent." Ronon grinned again. "It's a date, then."

Elizabeth suddenly reappeared. "Here you go," she said, handing Ronon his resume across the table.

He looked hopefully at her.

"I talked to a few of your references," Weir replied. "You have had quite a remarkable career."

Ronon's smile was short-lived, he seemed too nervous to sustain it.

Elizabeth grinned and reached her hand across the table. "Welcome to Expedition: Atlantis, Specialist Dex."

_-To Be Continued-_

**Author's Note: **The translations for this chapter are as follows: _Sitt_ means Lady; _Effendi_ means "Lord" or "Master," a title of esteem; and _baksheesh_ is a form of currency. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter – and that I didn't confuse you too much! -hugs everyone-

**SpaceMonkey0941**: Yes – that's right! You figured me out! -pouts- lol Thank you very much – I'm glad you liked the title "Expedition: Atlantis!" I was almost afraid it would sound too dorky. Oh, no! (Actually, Selim fills that role!) Dr. Hawass is actually a real person – he really is the head of the Egyptian Antiquities Council for all of Egypt. I really admire him, he's one of my heroes, so I couldn't resist adding him into the story. Keep an eye open, other tips of the hat to real people (and my favorite characters and some places from Peabody) just might make appearances later in the story. Thank you so much for the review, and I hope you enjoy this chapter! -hugs-

**Atlantis Ori Sheppard**: Thank you! I love AUs, too. They're just so much fun to write! Also, to play around with the characters in a different setting than the norm. Thank you so much for the review, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

**Morgan le Fay810**: Hi! Oh, thank you! I'm glad you're enjoying the story so far. Yes, I couldn't resist adding in Dr. Hawass! I admire him very much, and I wanted to add a touch of realism to the story, so I added the wonderful Dr. Hawass. Thank you so much for the review, and I hope you enjoy this chapter! -hugs-

**Bunnylass**: Thank you so much! I'm very happy that you're enjoying my fic so much! It always makes me happy to hear that people like what I'm writing, that I can entertain people. Thanks! I've been really excited to introduce the rest of the characters into the story, particularly John. I've got so much planned for his character in this fic! LOL Thank you so much for the review, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

**TheWelcomeStranger**: Thank you – your review made me laugh, just when I needed one! I promise, he's coming very soon. -winks back- I'm very excited about this chapter, so I wound up updating sooner than I'd originally planned. Thank you so much for the review, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

**Dia**: Thank you! I'm sorry – did I not explain it well enough? Regardless, I'm glad you're enjoying the story so far! Yes, I'm loving writing John so far in this story (big plans for him in the future!), so I'm glad you like what I'm doing with him. He really can be fun to write sometimes. Thank you so much for the review, and I hope you enjoy this chapter! -hugs-


	5. Atlantis's Child

Please see first chapter for disclaimer, rating, warnings, pairings, etc.

Part 5/?

**-Chapter 4-**

_Atlantis's Child_

The next three days passed very, very slowly. The monotonous work of reading through every book and record in the museum began to wear tempers thin. Already Sheppard and McKay had made the two women vow not to leave them alone again. Ronon joined in the research, but it was obvious he was more a man of action.

Sorting through pictures of several items in the museum was beginning to blur everything together for Teyla. Sighing, she dropped them to the table and rubbed her eyes. "I think we need a break," she moaned.

"Excellent!" Rodney exulted, snapping his book closed. "I could do for some lunch. Is anyone else hungry?"

"You're always hungry," John said. The two had quite easily settled into something Teyla wasn't sure was a friendship or not – there seemed to be a lot of snarking going on, but at least they didn't seem to take offense at each other.

"I want a break, but I want to keep working, too," Elizabeth moaned. "I just feel like we're so _close_ to a breakthrough. To a big discovery that will throw everything wide open for us!"

Teyla rubbed her forehead. "Even if we do find something, if we have to excavate somewhere, we're going to have to get permission. We can't just go out there and start digging."

"More paperwork?" McKay groaned.

"It's all part of it," John replied. "If I had five bucks for every piece of paper my parents ever filled out for their excavations, I'd be a very, very rich man."

"Mr. MENSA," Teyla grumped.

He grinned angelically at her. "I can't help it – software's built in."

Teyla picked up the pictures again, ready to put them back in the book to keep her place. Then something caught her eye. "Wait a second. . ." Turning, she ruffled through loose papers and books with her free hand. "Where's that magnifying glass?"

"Here." Ronon placed it in her hand with a flourish. "What's up?"

"I think I just found something." She focused the magnifier on the picture, concentrating on the damaged left side. The flash from the camera had been angled just right, catching the gleam of _something_ inside. With a gasp, she thrust the picture and magnifying glass into Elizabeth's hands. "Please tell me I'm not imagining that!" she said desperately. She pointed to the area in question.

Elizabeth looked. "Oh – my—" She choked to a halt.

"It could be nothing," Teyla said. She was trying to calm herself down, trying not to get her hopes up too high.

"Or it could be something!" John and Ronon said as one.

"Is this object on display?" Weir questioned.

Teyla checked the records, then shook her head. "No," she said. "It was recently discovered in Tomb KV63, so it's still listed as a newly-discovered item. Since it's damaged, they're going to try to preserve what's left, and if that's successful – then they'll put it on display." Pushing her chair back, she hurried back through the museum to the front desk, the others right behind her. "Excuse me – is Dr. Hawass still here?" she asked.

"Yes," the startled man at the desk replied. "He's in his office. But—"

"Thank you!" Teyla called as she ran off. The others still trailed her, Elizabeth still clutching the important photo. Heart pounding, she made her way through the museum until she reached her old friend's office.

Piles of books, papers, and artifacts cluttered the space. Zahi sat at his desk, scowling at a pile of papers as he scribbled on them with a pen. He jumped when Teyla joyfully called his name, too excited to speak softly.

"Teyla, don't scare me." He put his hand to his heart. "I'm an old man, child. Don't give me another heart attack." Smiling to lessen the scolding of his words, he included them all in his warm glance. "I see you happy – you have discovered something?"

Teyla thrust the picture and magnifying glass into his hands. "Look at this!" she exclaimed. "It was found in KV63, and is still waiting to be preserved. What do you see?" She pointed excitedly.

Squinting, Dr. Hawass peered through the glass to the indicated area. His eyes widened, and his mouth popped into an "o" shape as he looked up. "That—!" He seemed lost for words.

Teyla nodded. "May we examine the artifact? Perhaps – find out what's inside?"

Zahi jumped to his feet. "I'll do it," he whispered. "You come – we'll see." He motioned for them to follow him.

As the head of the Antiquities Council, he was able to hurry them through the paperwork and in to see the artifact. Wearing masks and gloves, they all crowded around Teyla and Dr. Hawass as the duo examined the wooden chest.

"It looks cracked," Zahi mused. "But I think – maybe – it's not. Perhaps it's meant to be that way. . ." Very gently, he probed the area with a gloved finger. "Ahh," he sighed. "It is loose."

"Like a hidden panel?" someone – John? – whispered.

"Yes." Teyla nodded excitedly. She could see it now – it looked like the left side was cracked on either side of the empty cartouche. But now she could see the crack pattern was smooth, as if the damage had occurred along a seam.

And, at the larger gap at the top of the crack, she saw another dull gleam. Her breath caught. "There's definitely something in there," she whispered. "There – do you see?"

The other shuffled closer as Zahi tipped his head to the side. "The glint! Gold!" he gasped. Very gently, with hands long-practiced at handling fragile objects, he loosened the panel. It dropped down as though hinged, revealing a shallow compartment.

Teyla let out her breath, heat rushing up her spine. "There's something inside!"

Zahi reached in, extracting centimeter by centimeter an elaborately beaded collar. For the second time in five minutes, Teyla's breath froze in her throat.

"That's it!" Elizabeth whispered from behind her. "That is the dead-ringer for the necklace on the statue I found on Santorini!" She trailed off, sounding like she was close to choking.

"There's something else." Dr. Hawass gently eased the collar to the tabletop, carefully smoothing it. "This is in remarkable shape," he said. "It is not like other collars discovered in the Valley, in burial tombs. . ." He turned his gaze from the necklace to her face, from her face to the chest. "See what else is inside."

Teyla followed Zahi's example, gently inserting her fingers into the compartment. She nearly screamed when her fingers brushed something that moved. Carefully pulling it free, she stared at the stone tablet she now cradled in her hands. "Egyptian hieroglyph," she whispered.

Elizabeth peered over her shoulder. "It looks like the other one!" she said. "Except in Egyptian." She bounced on her toes, her green eyes sparkling over the nosepiece of her protective mask. "What does it say, Teyla?"

Carefully resting it on the table next to the beaded collar, Teyla brushed the dust off the words so she could read them clearly. "'_In the land of the great, where the Pharaoh is reborn every morn_. . .'" Teyla stopped.

"The Valley of the Kings. The sunrise is beautiful there. According to my ancestors, when a Pharaoh dies, he goes to join Re – the sun god of olden times." Dr. Hawass grinned wryly. "Or it could be superstition. Many people claim to have encountered any number of the dead there."

Too nervous to laugh, Teyla gently blew away some more dust. "'_Find the honored feather of Maat. There lies Atlantis's Child._'" She looked up. "That's all it says."

Zahi nodded. "It is not signed. It does not say who left the message." He reread the message, a thoughtful expression on his face. "Atlantis's child – buried in the Valley?"

Excited, Teyla lifted her eyes to meet Elizabeth's. "Undeniable proof," she whispered.

Weir grabbed Sheppard's arm, looking weak in the knees. "A true Atlantian, buried among Egyptian royalty in one of the most revered burial grounds in the _world_!" The two women grabbed each other in a tight hug, babbling excitedly.

Ronon cleared his throat. "So – now what?" he asked. "More reading?"

"No," Teyla said, unable to keep her voice from shaking.

"We're going to the Valley of the Kings," Elizabeth whispered. "We're going to find Atlantis's Child."

_-To Be Continued-_

**TheWelcomeStranger**: I could quite easily picture Ronon as a diver, so I cast him as the role. For some reason, it's not hard to see him at home in the water. I'm really excited about this chapter, so I hope you enjoy it! Thank you so much for the review!

**Bunnylass**: Thank you! Of course, I couldn't resist Ronon and Teyla immediately being friends, they're just so – drawn to each other! I'm very happy to hear that you're excited about the fic, because I am too. It makes me glad that someone else shares my enthusiasm and fun. Thank you so much for the review, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

**The City of Atlantis**: I love your penname! Ronon's being the diver is actually a tip of my hat to Jason Momoa, who does a lot of surfing and swimming. As far as that – I figured he'd be the best person for the role! I know how you feel – it gets really cold where I live, too. I'd love to live in Hawaii and spend my days in the warm water (and warm weather in general!). And yes, John and Rodney are _very_ unhappy about being left alone to peruse the archives. Thank you so much for the review, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

**SpaceMonkey0941**: Thank you so much! Your review made me grin so-o-o-o-o big, I think my face is gonna break. LOL I could hardly wait to post the last chapter, I was so excited to introduce Ronon into the story. (I hated having him the last one!) I also couldn't resist adding some sizzle of Ronon and Teyla's chemistry to their meeting. Instant mutual attraction. -grin- I'm also glad you enjoyed the touch of John/Elizabeth, I just couldn't resist pitching that in, too. Thank you so much for the review, and I hope you enjoy this chapter! -hugs-

**Dia**: Hehehe. I must admit, it's nice that I can share my enthusiasm about what's coming next with someone. -wink wink- I'm glad you liked Ronon's introduction in the last chapter – I hated that I had him be the last one to enter the picture! Yes, Elizabeth could see the sparks, so she left them alone for a little while. . .and not just so she could take care of business. LOL I'm really glad you're enjoying the story – I was hoping you would! Thank you so much for the review, and I hope you enjoy this chapter! -hugs-


	6. Traditions

Please see first chapter for disclaimer, rating, warnings, pairings, etc.

Part 6/?

**-Chapter 5-**

_Traditions_

"A _week_?"

Teyla winced. "I can't help it!" she said. "Dr. Hawass has only so much pull. We're lucky he managed to reduce the paperwork to what he has, and gotten a rush on it."

Elizabeth rubbed her forehead. "A week is _rushing_?"

"There's a lot involved with getting a grant to excavate _anywhere_ in Egypt," John told her. "Usually archeologists start the process almost a year before the season they plan to spend here. It just takes so long to get things in motion, do the paperwork, get the approval – and, you have to act fast and soon if you want to make sure you get that spot. We're lucky to even have a chance at the Valley. It's a very popular area."

"Thank you, Howard Carter," Teyla muttered.

Sheppard chuckled. "You've been trying to get a grant for the Valley since you started working in Egypt."

She nodded sheepishly. "This is kind of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," she said.

Elizabeth's expression softened. "Then I guess one more week isn't too much to ask," she said. "Sorry I flew off the handle."

"A week is still a long time!" Rodney protested. "What are we going to do in the meantime?"

"Wait," Ronon rumbled from his chair in the corner. He grinned when all attention was on him. "That dive in the Nile is starting to look better and better."

Sheppard rolled his eyes. "I doubt you'll find anything in there," he said. "At least, nothing of interest."

Dex shrugged. "You never know."

Elizabeth glanced at her watch. "Hmm. I lost track of the time! It's almost dinnertime." She looked at Teyla, then John. "Can either of you recommend a good place to eat?"

The two Egyptian experts swapped grins. "Well – it all depends on whether you want American food, or if you want to be daring and try some Egyptian cuisine," John said.

Rodney spoke up. "Just so long as it's nothing weird."

Elizabeth grinned. "Well, I feel particularly daring – how about Egyptian?" She glanced across the room to Ronon, who shrugged and nodded.

"Excellent," Teyla said. She looked at John. "Abdullah's?"

"Perfect choice." John fell into step alongside Elizabeth as they all left her and Teyla's suite, where they'd gathered for a quick meeting. "Don't worry – I'll help you figure out what's what," he assured her.

Weir looked relieved. Rodney kept pace with them, continuing to ask questions about the future of the expedition.

Ronon hung back to walk with Teyla, his hands in his pockets. "Thanks for giving me this job," he said quietly.

Teyla looked up at him in surprise. "You're very welcome," she said. "But it's Dr. Weir who's in charge of the hiring and firing. She's the one who you should thank."

A wry grin curled his lips. "Yeah, I know," he said. "But – aw, I don't know. I'm just so grateful." Reaching up, Ronon tapped his shoulder. "I was just afraid it'd be hard to get a job after this, you know? Not many people would trust a man whose shoulder could go out on him again. Especially if I try to push it and dive right after my six weeks are up." Longing filled his intense, beautiful green eyes. "But I _so_ want to dive again. I miss it – very much."

She saw it in his expression, heard it in his voice – he was as passionate about his diving as she was about her Egyptian excavations. "Tell me – where are some of the other places you've worked?"

Ronon raised his voice slightly to be heard over the hustle and bustle of the street as John led them through the crowd. "Hmm – you knew about Crete and Hawaii. I've also done some diving around the Bermuda area, close to – but not in – the Triangle." He chuckled. "Not that I believe in it. Anyway – I've also seen the ruins at Bamini, what some people believe might be the remnants of Atlantis."

"What do you think?" Teyla asked.

His eyebrows rose a little. "Personally? I don't think so. It's an interesting place, I'll give it that. But I really don't think it's Atlantis, or a remnant of it. Or even connected to it, for that matter." Cocking his head to the side, he looked at her out of the corner of his eye. "What about you? Where are some places you've excavated in Egypt?"

Teyla shrugged self-consciously. "Not nearly as many as my parents," she said. "I've done some work in Deir el-Barhi, Deir el-Medina, half a season in the ruins of el-Amarna, and the rest of that season I spent working at Hatshepsut's temple at the mouth of the Valley. But most of the work I've done has been at Abu Simbel."

Ronon whistled, low and long. "Wow. You've done some extensive work here."

She looked away from his admiring gaze, feeling a blush creep up her neck and suffuse her cheeks. "I grew up here," she said softly. "Even though I split my time between Chicago and here, and am – technically – American, Egypt will always be my home."

Conversations paused when they got to Abdullah's establishment. It was not listed in many – if any – guidebooks; someone had to know it existed and its exact location to be able to get there. It reminded Teyla of a series of books she once read.

"Teyla, the Heart of Egypt! Why did you not tell me you were coming?" Abdullah shouted in Arabic as he came out of the kitchen, his ruddy cheeks colored from the heat of his cook stoves and his apron splattered with the chosen menu items of the day. "And Effendi John! Both of you have returned to Egypt, at last! It makes my old heart proud!" He hugged Teyla and enthusiastically shook hands with John. "You honor my humble establishment." He hurried to prepare a table for them, asking questions all the while. Teyla introduced the other members of the party while they settled into their seats.

It didn't take them long to order, John and Teyla helping Elizabeth and Rodney respectively. Ronon surprised Teyla by ordering for himself, thanking Abdullah in crisp, fluent (and flowery) Arabic. When he saw her looking at him, he shrugged self-deprecatingly. "What can I say?" he said. "I wanted to be able to speak at least a little of the language before I came. And I've learned some more since I got here. Besides, I heard that it helps a _lot_ if you shower compliments upon the person from whom you're requesting service." He looked around curiously. "I've been to quite a few authentic Egyptian restaurants like this during my time here, but I hadn't heard about this one."

Teyla grinned. "You have to know it exists – and the right people. This is – er – not exactly the most revered establishment, at least if you ask the Americans. It's been in Abdullah's family for years. When he dies, he'll probably leave it to his grandson – Selim – who led me to you – who currently owns a cart in the _suk_." She shook her head. "Though it's hard to imagine old Abdullah not being around anymore. For as long as I can remember, he's owned this place and done all the cooking."

Their food was delivered then. As everyone tried their dishes and exclaimed happily at the tastes, Abdullah beamed proudly and nodded. "Thank you, thank you," he said in broken English. "I am honored." When at last he retired to the kitchen again, the table's occupants were over half-finished with their meals.

"This is wonderful," Elizabeth said. "Though I have a feeling I probably don't want to ask what's in it."

"Lots of tomatoes," John chuckled. "Did you see the smears all over Abdullah's apron?"

She nodded. "I didn't know that's what it was, though."

Teyla smiled. "If you come here enough, you'll be able to figure out what's being served on certain days by looking at his apron. His whims change, so nothing is ever the same. It's always an adventure here."

Even after everyone finished their meals, and Abdullah brought out cups of strong Turkish coffee for dessert, they lingered at the table, talking and learning more about each other. It was hard to remember that the group hadn't been together for very long, they'd all bonded so well.

About an hour and a half after the meal, music started up toward the back of the establishment. Cheers floated after, and more people started flocking in from the street. Abdullah rushed around serving more coffee, shouting things in cheerful Arabic.

"What's going on?" Elizabeth asked, puzzled.

Before she could respond, someone called her name. "Teyla! Is it really you?"

"Lapis!" Teyla leaped to her feet to hug the approaching girl, who jingled with jewelry as she returned the hug. "Oh, is there a party?" she asked in Arabic.

Lapis nodded, her shocking blue eyes sparkling with excitement. "It is Daoud's birthday. We will dance." A grin stretched her lips, showing off her sparkling white teeth. "Will you come?" she begged. "Please, dance with us!"

Teyla demurred. "I don't know – it's been so many years!"

Her friend shot a glance across the table at Elizabeth. "Your friend, she will join, too, yes?"

Teyla turned to everyone else to translate, though John had been able to understand the conversation and was now grinning into his second cup of coffee. "There is a party – one of Abdullah's sons' birthdays. There will be dancing." She felt flustered, out-of-place. It had been many years since she'd last danced – she wasn't even sure she remembered all of the steps. "I will join them. Lapis also invited you, Elizabeth. It is – tradition. And a lot of fun."

Elizabeth look terrified. "What – what kind of dancing?"

Lapis murmured under her breath, sounding hurried and excited.

"Middle Eastern folk dance?" Teyla offered.

John leaned over and whispered: "Belly dancing, basically."

Weir turned bright red, her green eyes suddenly looking far too large for her face. "B-belly – dancing?" she inquired hesitantly.

"Is fun!" Lapis assured her. She couldn't understand much English, but that she did understand. Nodding up and down, she smiled winningly. "Is fun, and good." She patted her tummy. "Good work."

Teyla took Elizabeth's hand and pulled her up. "Just watch me," she whispered. "What I do – you do. We'll be doing some of the more playful dances – the steps will be easy to pick up."

In the cramped back room, Teyla and Elizabeth quickly changed into costumes. Lapis had brought extra, just in case some other women decided to join. Teyla's deep green-and-gold ensemble richly complimented her complexion, while Elizabeth's quieter red and silver made the blush of her cheeks even rosier, her eyes a little greener.

Teyla drew a deep breath. Was she ready for this? No. But she couldn't disappoint all her old friends. The music changed tempo, and she swirled out into the room with the other dancers, losing herself in the rhythm and fun of the dance.

**-Abdullah's Restaurant: Cairo, Egypt-**

Ronon, having grown up in Hawaii, was used to seeing hula dances. His mother and aunt had been members of a professional group, and he'd constantly seen them practicing.

But, he soon discovered, hula couldn't hold a candle to "Middle Eastern folk dancing," as Teyla had called it. The movements were light and playful instead of intense and focused; the costumes brightly colored and beaded instead of the traditional grass skirts; and jewelry abounded: earrings, necklaces, and bracelets aplenty for arms and legs. He'd never seen so much jewelry in one place before – except in a store.

At least fifteen women were spinning around the cramped room in time with the music, some in pairs and some alone. But one dancer in particular caught and held his attention: a girl in green, whose movements seemed more pronounced than the others' – crisper, sharper, more like she personally was having fun rather than entertaining the others. She spun, and Ronon was shocked to realize it was Teyla. _She's quite a woman,_ he mused to himself. _ Is there anything she _can't_ do?_

A strangled noise to his left caught his attention. Rodney sat with his elbows on the table, face hidden in his hands. Sheppard sat with his mouth hanging open, traditional post-meal Egyptian water-pipe halfway to his mouth, staring in Teyla's direction. For a moment Ronon felt uncomfortable – _Teyla is as close as his sister_ _indeed! _he thought grimly – until he noticed Sheppard's attention was on Weir, who was quietly shadowing each of Teyla's movements. Ronon felt ashamed that he hadn't noticed her before – all he could see was Teyla.

Teyla, who seemed to trust him so fully, so easily. _It's wrong._ He remembered how his parents' marriage had turned out, after. . . He shook the memory out of his head. That was over with. Besides, what business had he having such – _interesting_ – feelings for Teyla? She was the team's Egyptian expert, and was obviously quite devoted to her work. Surely she had no time for men, and _surely_ no time for men like him.

But still, there was _something_ about her that drew him. She spun by their table, skirts, veils, and hair flying, and Ronon clenched his hands into fists to keep from reaching out, grasping her wrist, and yanking her to him for a kiss. _That_ would certainly not help the team. This was business, strictly business – he had to remember that. Falling for someone was not part of the job description – he was there to help: to assist them in gathering information, then to dive for the mythical Atlantis, _if_ they found undeniable evidence of it. At the moment, though, he had a feeling Teyla could find life on other planets if she put her mind to it. She really was a remarkable woman. . .

Ashamed, Ronon once more forcibly shook himself out of his thoughts. _Business, Dex. This is business._ But his gaze softened again as he watched Teyla, with her glowing smile and happy eyes, as she playfully and oh-so-gracefully danced her way around the room. _But I _want_ it – at least part of it – to be pleasure, too. . ._

_-To Be Continued-_

**The City of Atlantis**: Thank you! Your reviews never cease to leave me with a smile on my face – I enjoy reading them so much. I'm very, very excited about this chapter, so I hope you enjoy it, too! Thanks again so much for the review!

**Bunnylass**: Wow, thank you! As I write each chapter, I just find myself getting caught up in the enthusiasm and excitement of the characters. I feel like I'm discovering everything right along with them, so I'm very happy to hear that you feel the same way! I think this is _the most fun_ I've _ever_ had writing a fic. To be truthful, I don't want to stop writing this fic, either – I'm trying not to think about the ending (except as for it being fa-a-a-r into the future!). I really hope you enjoy this chapter, and thank you so much for the review! -huggles back-

**SpaceMonkey0941**: Thank you! Though I don't want to overwhelm you – should I slow it down a bit? lol I was very happy to read your enthusiasm, though – it made me very happy, and smile so big my Mom asked if I had taken allergy pills that made me loopy. LOL I tried to update as soon as possible – I hope you enjoy this chapter (it was a _lot_ of fun to write -wink wink-), and thank you so much for the review! -hugs-


	7. Breathless

Please see first chapter for disclaimer, rating, warnings, pairings, etc.

Part 7/?

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-Chapter 6-

_Breathless_

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Leaving Cairo early presented the expedition with an opportunity to sight-see a little on their journey from Cairo to Luxor, then to the Valley. They were scheduled to reach Luxor a day before Dr. Hawass, who stayed behind to finish up the paperwork for their upcoming excavation.

As they visited each location, the entire expedition looked around carefully for any further clues that might be hidden. However, it seemed that they would find nothing interesting until they reached the Valley. Even then, they didn't know _what_ they were looking for. A monument? Another tomb? Perhaps a hidden treasure trove equal to that of King Tut's, except this filled with the riches of Atlantis? They all had their separate theories.

By the time the week was up and they got to settle into their hotel in Luxor, even Teyla was glad they'd arrived at their destination. Their sightseeing trip had heralded no further clues as to the link between Egypt and Atlantis. The tension and excitement within the group had grown a little more every day; as Teyla leaned on the railing of her balcony to stare across the gleaming Nile to the distant Valley of the Kings, she could feel archeological fever gripping her. She longed to be there already: digging, searching, _discovering_.

But they had to wait for Dr. Hawass and the important papers he brought. Unauthorized digging in the Valley, or any other site in Egypt, brought heavy consequences to the person doing the excavating, whether they be archeologist or overcurious sightseer.

Elizabeth joined her. "It's so beautiful," she murmured quietly. Leaning her crossed arms on the balcony rail, she followed Teyla's gaze to the land across the Nile. "And I thought it couldn't get more beautiful than Cairo."

Teyla chuckled. "Egypt has undeniable beauty everywhere."

"I envy you, in some ways," Elizabeth sighed. She didn't remove her gaze from the Nile.

Shocked, Teyla glanced incredulously at her fellow archeologist. "Why?" she choked. "_How_?"

Elizabeth smiled wryly, motioning to the beauty that lay before and around them. "Look at all of this!" she said. "You grew up here. You had the pleasure of spending almost your entire life in the place you love, doing what you love to do." She tucked a strand of dark hair behind her ear, her gaze falling as she dropped her hand to join the other on the railing. "You have to understand, Teyla. I didn't grow up in Santorini, or Crete, or even Greece – which would have been an acceptable substitute, considering. I grew up in a little one-stoplight town in Pennsylvania, the daughter of a senator and a lawyer." Her lips twisted sardonically, the expression a little too harsh for her kind features. "You can imagine what every single day in _my_ house sounded like." Sighing, she finally lifted her eyes to meet Teyla's. "My solace came in fantasy. I stumbled upon the legend of Atlantis one day, and – I just wanted something to believe in. It didn't matter if it didn't exist. Fantasy or truth, I was determined to find out more about it. I spent my high school years researching and investigating. After I graduated from college, I worked hard – very hard, harder than I'd ever worked in my life – to get enough money to finance my work on Crete and Santorini. I've spent over half my life working toward this goal."

Teyla stood, silent and stunned, staring. She had no idea that under her friend's happy, excited façade lay such a story. . .

Elizabeth huffed a laugh and swiped at her cheeks. "I'm so sorry," she said. "I didn't mean to dump my whole life's tragic story on you."

"No, no! I'm glad you did." Reaching out, Teyla grasped Elizabeth's hands and squeezed. "My friend, now more than ever, I'm determined! We're going to _find_ Atlantis, and we're going to _prove_ to all the naysayers that it's real!"

Weir stared at her for a long moment, a glint of hope in her eyes. Then she threw her arms around Teyla's shoulders and hugged her tightly. "Thank you, Teyla," she whispered. "Thank you so much."

Slightly surprised – but definitely pleased – Teyla hugged Elizabeth back. "It's worth it. I don't care where we have to go, and what we have to do – we're going to find every clue Egypt has to offer us, and we're going to _find_ Atlantis, bring her back to life!"

At that inopportune moment, someone rapped sharply on the door. The two women exchanged understanding glances, then Elizabeth took a deep breath and stepped back. "It's okay," she said. "I'll answer it."

Teyla nodded, turning back to the view as Elizabeth went back into their suite. "John!" The startled exclamation floated through the open balcony doors to her ears. Teyla grinned out at the Nile.

"Would you – I mean – would you care to have dinner with me?"

"Yes!" Teyla said under her breath. "Go get 'im, girl. He's annoying sometimes, and a bit of a smart-aleck – but he's worth it."

"Um – sure! Just – just let me grab my purse – and I need to t-tell Teyla. . ." Elizabeth appeared in the doorway, green eyes bright, cheeks flushed, hair tousled. "I'm going out to dinner with John. Will – will you be okay here?"

Teyla nodded. "Go have fun. I need a little rest, anyway."

Elizabeth bounced forward to hug Teyla, murmured another heartfelt thanks, and then she was gone. The door closed behind her with a soft thump.

A few minutes later, as the sun disappeared behind the hills of the Valley, Teyla turned and went back into the room. Curling up on her side on her bed, she closed her eyes and let out her breath. What an amazing day. . .

. . .Tomorrow promised to be better. Dr. Hawass was scheduled to arrive, papers in hand, ready to escort them to the renowned Valley of the Kings so they could look for their tomb. She wondered if he was excited, too.

Teyla hovered on the edge of a doze, almost ready to fall completely asleep when another knock on the door interrupted her. "Ugh," she groaned. She dragged herself off the comfortable mattress, growling obscenities under her breath. A quick check in the mirror showed wrinkled clothes – not much she could do about that. Running her fingers through her messy hair restored some order to the tangles. It would have to do.

Standing on her bare tiptoes, she peered through the peephole out into the hall. Her eyes popped wide when she saw who was on the other side. A squeak passed her lips before she could stop it. _I look _awful_!_ she mourned inwardly. But she swallowed back her embarrassment, unlocked the door, and jerked it open.

Ronon offered her a half smile. "I – hope I'm not bothering you?"

Unconsciously, she reached up to pull her hair into a ponytail with one hand as the other smoothed over the front of her shirt. No good – she still looked like someone who'd been on the road for a week, and who'd just slept in her clothes on top of that. Oh well – too late now. "No, no, not at all. Please, come in, come in." Did she sound a little _too_ breathless?

Ronon paused just far enough into the room to allow her to close the door behind him. He tucked his hands into his pockets, looking shyly at her from beneath his lashes. "Look – I mean, I figured you might be lonely. Sheppard took Weir out to dinner, and McKay's holed up in his room – something about wanting American food from room service – and I figured that. . ." He trailed off and bit his lip, his gaze darting to the closed balcony doors, then back to her. "Well, I wondered if _you'd_ like to have dinner with _me_?"

Teyla blinked once. Twice. It wasn't until the edges of her vision went fuzzy that she realized she'd forgotten to breath. Letting out a gust of air in one long sigh, she dropped her ponytail and nervously brushed her fingers through her hair. "I – well, I guess – I mean, I wouldn't—" Years of professionalism, of _always_ knowing what to say, and that was the best she could come up with? To where had her calm, cool confidence fled, and why hadn't it taken her with it?

Taking a deep breath, she let it out as she forced her shoulders to relax. Allowing her lips to curl into a smile, she nodded and reached out her hand to shake his. "I would love to go to dinner with you." She looked down at her rumpled clothes. "Um – if you'd just give me a moment to change, maybe take a quick shower. . .?" She trailed off, arching one eyebrow.

Ronon backed toward the door. "Oh – sure. I'm sorry, I never thought. . ." He stopped and swallowed, seeming to have to reorient himself, too, before he could speak. "I'll pick you up in half an hour?"

"Forty-five minutes?" she asked. She wanted to look _nice_, perhaps for the first time in her life. The dusty, worn clothes she wore on the dig – that made her feel at home in Egypt – would never do for this. She had to look nice, dazzling, like a _woman_.

"Sounds good. I'll see you then." Ronon beat a retreat out the door, _almost_ looking like he was blushing behind the cover of his long hair.

Teyla fell backwards against the door after he'd left, eyes wide, mouth agape. _My gosh – did he just ask me out?_ On the heels of that thought came another. _Did I just accept?!_

"Oh my," she whispered. _I really _do_ have a crush on him!_

Professor Teyla Emmagan, elite Egyptologist, job-focused and (formerly) uninterested in men, had just found herself a date.

_-To Be Continued-_

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**Author's note**: _Please, please, please forgive me for taking so long to update this! Muddling my way through the first week back at college _plus_ fighting the mother of all stomach viruses hasn't given me much time to write. But I'm better now, and things have calmed down, so I'm _pretty_ sure I'll be able to keep the updates coming pretty steadily for this fic (assuming, of course, I don't get sick again!). Thank you so much for your patience, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!_**

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**bailey1ak**: Wow! Thank you so, so, so very much! This fic is _so_ much fun to write, I am so happy that you're enjoying it, and getting caught up in the character interactions and such. I feel very honored and humbled by all your compliments! Thank you again, so much, for all the reviews, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

**Bunnylass**: Thank you! I know – you have no idea how much I wanted to just rush through that part, and jump ahead in the story! But I'm really striving hard to add realism to my story (even with as much fantasy as is mixed into it!), so they _have_ to wait for the paperwork. On the bright side, it allows time for some things to develop. . . Thank you! I had so-o-o-o much fun writing the dancing scene, especially writing it from Ronon's point of view. And Rodney – poor Rodney! I couldn't resist adding that part in. And thank you! I actually can't take complete credit for Teyla's being called the Heart of Egypt – that was my mother's idea. I wanted a nickname for her, and my mom came up with that (isn't she awesome?!). But Effendi – that was me, admittedly. I'm very glad you liked that part! Thank you so much for the review, and I hope you enjoy this chapter! And thank you for the e-cookies. I'm a sucker for sweets!

**Morgan le Fay810**: Oh, yes, yes, yes, I just _couldn't_ write a fic with them in Egypt without weaving in some bellydancing! LOL I'm very happy, honored, and humbled that you're enjoying the fic so far, and I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint! Thank you so much for the review! -hugs-

**The City of Atlantis**: Oh, no, you didn't scare me! I enjoy reading your reviews, they always make me laugh. I'm really lucky – I have friends who enjoy Atlantis, and my mom does, too. But my Dad couldn't care a hoot – so I know how you feel, excited about talking about it, but he doesn't care to listen! Oh, thank you! Ronon/Teyla is my favorite Atlantis ship, I just love their chemistry and interactions, they just make such an _awesome_ couple. I sympathize totally on your views of Atlantis ships! It's still going to be a while before Atlantis comes in – but I promise I am going to work the city in eventually! Thank you so much for the review, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

**SpaceMonkey0941**: Yes, yes, Ronon has it _v-e-e-e-e-e-r-y_ bad right now. LOL I think that might actually come to something in this chapter. . . -wink wink- Thanks! I couldn't resist slipping a little reference to their canon life on the Pegasus galaxy Atlantis in there. Thank you so much! I've done a _lot_ of research going into this fic, so I'm very glad the atmosphere is translating well, and that the characters are seeming to fit in. I very hope I don't disappoint with this chapter, that you enjoy it! Thank you so much for the review! -hugs-


	8. Fascination

Please see first chapter for disclaimer, rating, warnings, pairings, etc.

Part 8/?

**-Chapter 7-**

_Fascination_

This time, when Teyla and Ronon wound up at another authentic Egyptian restaurant, she didn't know the owner and she wasn't asked to dance after the meal.

Teyla thought herself perhaps a little _overdressed_ for the occasion, but Ronon didn't seem to mind. He complimented her on her appearance, seeming surprised to see her in a brightly colored gypsy skirt and a light shirt with flared sleeves. She complimented him on his appearance, too, admiring the khakis that went well with the white shirt that showed off his tanned skin to rather excellent advantage. It was all she could do not to ogle, which surprised her. She wasn't usually so – _interested_.

Though the first part of their impromptu date was a bit stiff and formal, it didn't take long for them to loosen up with each other. By dessert, they were talking and laughing like old friends.

"So—" Teyla asked slowly, drawing out the word. She critically examined the water pipe, wondering if she wanted to partake. She very rarely did. "Do you still live in Hawaii?"

A brief shadow flickered through Ronon's eyes. He looked down long enough to push his plate away; when he looked up again, the green depths were clear again. "No. I haven't lived in Hawaii since I was seventeen. To be truthful, my life now – it's not that interesting. I own a penthouse in California. That way I can still support my diving habit – or maybe the more apt description should be 'obsession' – but I'm somewhere _else_." He shrugged. "Not that I didn't _like_ Hawaii – it's my home, and I'll always love the land, the ocean, the people, the mythology. . . But I wanted to go somewhere else. Especially after. . ." He trailed off and bit his lip. For a moment he looked young, vulnerable, almost _tortured_. But that passed in another moment of anger that clouded his eyes and kinked his lips into a hard, unforgiving expression of his rage. When his face smoothed again, Teyla wondered what he'd omitted from his narrative. "I just wanted to go somewhere else. So I got the penthouse. I rent it out when I'm off on excursions." He shrugged. "I'm not _really_ attached to the place, but I like my space."

It appeared Teyla was bringing out the worst of people today. "I'm sorry," she said. Hiding her flush behind her mug of Turkish coffee, she took a moment to figure out a way out of the mess she'd created. "I didn't mean to pry."

Ronon smiled, suddenly relaxed again. He made no move to reach for the water pipe, either, which pleased Teyla in a way she couldn't make sense of – at least not yet. "It's fine, really. It's all in the past. Forgive and forget, you know?" He looked at her from beneath his lashes again, this time waggling his brows like some TV detective. "So, what about you, Professor Emmagan? Have you got any interesting skeletons in your closet?"

The way he said it made her laugh. She wasn't offended in the least: in fact, she rather liked being so comfortable with someone. Friends were hard to have when one was devoted to one's work as much as she. "Hmm, I'm afraid not. I was born the daughter of two devoted Egyptologists. I've spent almost my entire life learning about the places, people, and history of Egypt, achieving this through interactions, friendships, and excavation. Both of my parents are still alive today, and have retired to the mountains of Colorado. Though why they chose such a frigid place after all those years here in arid Egypt, I'll never know. Maybe they got their fill of the heat." She shrugged gracefully. "As you can see, there's not much to tell. I spend most of the year here, excavating. I return to America to teach archeology with Egyptian specialty at the Oriental Institute in Chicago. After spending Christmas with my folks, I usually fly back to Egypt to start all over again. It's a hectic life, but I love it."

Ronon looked at her with a distinctly amused expression. "You are an enigma," he said out-of-the-blue.

Teyla blinked rapidly. _Me?_ she wanted to protest. _What about _you_? All those little hints about your mysterious past, the walking personification of tall, dark, and incredibly— _She quickly cut _that_ thought off before it got her in major trouble. "Thank you?" she said weakly.

He laughed. "I'm sorry," he apologized. This time he was the one who busied himself with his coffee for a moment. "That was incredibly rude of me."

"It's fine," Teyla said quickly. "I find it more – strange than rude."

Ronon rolled his eyes. "I sound pathetic," he said. "You just fascinate me." A wry chuckle escaped his lips, just as enthralling and nicely resonant as his true laugh. "That sounded plain _weird,_ didn't it?"

Teyla wasn't sure whether to find him strange – in a stalker sort of way – or to be incredibly flattered by his attention and compliments (those were compliments, right?). She chose the latter. "No, not _really_." She smiled ruefully. "I'm sure some of the things I've said tonight can be construed as equally – strange."

His eyebrows quirked again. "Hmm," he said. "I suppose it's all in the interpretation."

Embarrassed, she laughed. "This is awkward."

Ronon was suddenly serious again. "So I find myself apologizing. Again."

"No. It's as much my fault as yours. We just – seem to bring out the more mysterious sides of each other." Teyla smiled, unable to find fault in her logic.

He shrugged. "Sounds good to me." Ronon glanced at the doorway, around the room, then at his watch. "Do you realize what time it is?"

Teyla glanced at her own watch and squeaked. "It's nearly midnight."

Ronon nodded. "Dr. Hawass promised to be here early in the morning with the papers for our investigation and _hopeful_ excavation of the Valley. I guess we'd better wrap this up." He sounded rueful.

Suddenly she didn't feel as upbeat and happy as she had before. "I suppose so," she agreed.

After paying for their meal – an insistence Ronon presented with a flattering and gentlemanly air Teyla _was_ sure had been extinct since the nineteenth century, at least until now – he offered his arm to her for the walk back. She willingly took it, allowing him to guide her through the streets. A lot of nefarious types hung around at that time, but Ronon had an aura about him that warned off anyone with less than honorable intentions. They arrived safely at their hotel almost twenty minutes later.

Both were unwilling for the evening to end. Ronon walked her directly up to her room, lingering at the door with her. "Thank you," he said sincerely, his eyes shining. "I haven't had such an enjoyable time for – well, too long."

Teyla smiled shyly up at him, feeling her heart flutter a few times experimentally. The whole thing had been rather dreamy – and she'd wanted to spend her evening on her bed, napping and reading? What was the matter with her? "Thank you, Ronon. I found the evening quite pleasant as well." Well, here they were, back to that formality.

Ronon lifted his eyes to the door briefly, then turned his head to look up and down the hall. Stepping forward, slightly infringing on her personal space (not that she minded, not in the least), he very gently brushed his lips across hers, an experimental first kiss. He pulled back quickly, looking like he expected her to deck him.

Instead, Teyla smiled up at him, feeling quite warm and besotted. She hoped that (well, at least the latter) didn't show. "You certainly know how to wind up the evening nicely, don't you, Specialist Dex?" She sounded breathless, but couldn't find in herself to care.

A soft grin tugged at his bearded lips. "Well – I'm typically not the kind to kiss on the first date, but. . ." He cocked his head to the side, looking at her with an intenseness that made her swallow hard. "Like I said – you're a very unique woman, Professor Emmagan."

Before she lost her nerve, Teyla stepped forward and hugged him. "Thank you, Ronon."

His arms closed around her, his hand briefly rubbing up and down her back. "Thank you, Teyla."

He lingered as she ran her keycard through the slot by the door handle. The light turned green, and she pushed open the door. "Thank you again, Ronon. I—" Her words died on her lips, never to be spoken.

The room she shared with Elizabeth had been ransacked.

"Teyla?" Ronon stepped up behind her, easily looking over her head into the room. A furious sound slipped from between his teeth, a cross between a growl and a hiss that had her shaking. "What the—?"

Teyla suddenly found herself drawn back against Ronon's chest, his arms around her in a distinctly protective gesture. "Police," she whispered. "We need to call—"

"Yes, yes." Firmly taking her hand, Ronon pulled her after him to the room next door, the single that he occupied. He let out his breath when he saw that his room hadn't been touched, though he did do a quick sweep. He sat her down on his bed, brought her a bottle of water, and then called the front desk. In a broken mix of English and Arabic, he carried on a rather terse conversation with whomever was on the other end of the line before he finally hung up. "The police have been called. Hotel security is on the way up." His gaze softened as he crouched in front of her. "You okay?"

Teyla set aside the now-empty bottle. "I'm fine," she said, a little irritably. While she appreciated Ronon's actions, she didn't like being treated like a delicate flower that would faint at the drop of a hat. "Angry, but fine."

A spark of admiration briefly lit Ronon's eyes, hiding the lurking anger that had previously shone there. "Remarkable," he murmured. Once more taking her hand, he accompanied her back to her room, where she met security.

"I haven't touched anything," she said. There had been no signs of struggle, so she was sure Elizabeth was all right. She was probably still with John, which was a load off her mind.

As if to confirm her thoughts, at that moment John and Elizabeth appeared around the corner, arms linked, walking close together. They seemed completely absorbed in each other until they reached the room and noticed the activity.

"What's going on?" John demanded tersely.

"Our room!" Elizabeth looked murderously angry. "Of all the low tricks—!"

"Ma'am," Abdul, the head of hotel security, said soothingly to her. "From what I can tell, it looks like nothing more than a robbery – common, unfortunately. Could you please tell me if there—"

"My papers," Teyla said grimly. With Ronon hovering protectively close by, she'd been searching through the mess, trying not to touch or move too much as she searched the room at request of security. "My papers on the research we've been doing here – they're missing."

Elizabeth joined her then, John closely shadowing her steps. "Oh my," she said. Immediately she went to her briefcase, which sat open and upside down on the floor. Kneeling, she gingerly ruffled through the pile. "Most of my papers are gone, too."

Teyla checked. "All my jewelry is still here."

Elizabeth followed her lead. "Mine too," she said grimly. "This was no ordinary theft," she said.

Teyla saw Ronon and John exchange wary looks. "Someone else is looking for Atlantis," the latter said.

"Apparently they have no qualms about what to do to achieve their goal – lazy fortune hunters," Ronon growled. "I don't like to think about what other lengths they might go to. . ." He cut a quick look in her and Elizabeth's direction.

"We can take care of ourselves," Teyla retorted hotly.

"We know," John said. "But these guys are serious, I think."

At that moment, Rodney McKay appeared in the doorway. For a moment he stared in openmouthed shock at the mess in the women's room. Then, lifting his gaze, he blurted out, "I wish I'd stayed in America!"

_-To Be Continued-_

**Bunnylass**: Oh, thank you so much! I'm glad you thought Elizabeth's story was very believable! I've been working very hard on each character's back story, trying to make them seem believable, and fit into the story. Fantasy has always been my escape, as well, from just about everything. I had a lot of fun writing poor John's stuttering while he was asking Elizabeth out, so I'm glad you liked that part. I think they'll be a little more comfortable with each other by the end of the night! -wink- Thanks! That's always been my worst fear, I'll be dressed in rags and look like I've slept in my clothes for a week when the guy I like comes along to ask me out! LOL I am feeling much better, thank you. And yes, my mom's pretty awesome – I could never do this without her! Thank you so very much for the long review, and I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint you!

**bailey1ak**: Wow, thank you! I'm very honored that you liked the last chapter. I've had the scene where Ronon came to ask Teyla out in my head for a very long time, so I'm glad their reactions were believable. Thank you so very much for the review, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

**The City of Atlantis**: Thank you! I agree, AUs are soooo much fun! I think Elizabeth and John are going to be more comfortable with each other by the end of the evening! -wink- I'm glad you liked Teyla's reaction, it was a lot of fun to write! Really? Ugh, that's sad! The way I see it, sophomore, junior, senior, doesn't matter – they were all freshmen once! I hope you find someone else who loves _Atlantis_, too! -hugs- Thank you so much for the review, and I hope this update doesn't disappoint!


	9. Teamwork

Please see first chapter for disclaimer, rating, warnings, pairings, etc.

Part 9/?

**-Chapter 8-**

_Teamwork_

Teyla tumbled face-first into bed around three o'clock in the morning. The police closed up her and Elizabeth's old room, and the hotel graciously granted them a new room, conveniently (and deliberately, Teyla was sure) placed between Ronon's and John's. The latter had grudgingly agreed to share his double-bed room with McKay. Though the scientist been talked into remaining in Egypt, he'd refused to have his own room for a moment longer. So they wound up moving all his equipment to Sheppard's room, as well as all of Teyla's and Elizabeth's things into their new room.

Exhausted, Teyla buried her face in her pillow. She was even too tired to yawn, and it seemed like doing something as simple as closing her eyes was too much of an effort.

It was amazing how quickly her magnificent night had turned into a nightmare. In a matter of a few hours, it seemed like her dinner with Ronon had occurred weeks ago. Fun was a commodity out of her reach – it existed, but not for her.

Ronon's words came back to her. Obviously someone else wanted to find Atlantis, but there was no guarantee that that individual (or those individual_s_ – she shuddered at the thought of there being more than one) had happened upon the room when it was empty by accident. She wondered if she and Elizabeth would have been hurt – or worse – if they'd actually _been_ in the room when it was broken into.

Yet another reason to be grateful to both John and Ronon.

Rolling onto her side and curling into a ball, Teyla felt the events of the night catch up to her. She began to shiver, teeth chattering, as ice flooded her veins. The door between her and Elizabeth's room and John and Rodney's was open, upon Sheppard's insistence. He wanted to be readily available just in case. And Ronon slept on the other side of the wall from her bed, so there was another level of protection there.

But still. . . If it was that easy for someone to get in and get out, it would surely be easy for them to do it again. And this time she and Elizabeth might not be out of the room.

A vicious shiver rattled through her. Moaning softly, Teyla drew the covers up to her chin, around her shoulders, hugging herself into a fetal position so tight her muscles cramped. She liked to think she was imperturbable, unshaken in the face of danger. When she'd found out that her room had been broken in to, she'd been too angry to feel in danger. But now, in the quiet darkness of her room, she suddenly realized how vulnerable she really was. Too bad she'd left her father's gun locked tightly in her apartment at home.

And it was a good thing Ronon wasn't around to witness her weakness. He'd think she was a ninny, when she really hadn't thought she was.

Across the room, Elizabeth breathed deeply and easily. She'd offered Teyla some sleeping pills, but the latter had refused. Now Teyla was wishing she'd accepted the offer so she could sleep as deeply and unaffectedly as her friend. Next time (though she sincerely hoped there wouldn't _be_ a next time) she wouldn't turn down the offer.

It took her until well after her bedside clock struck five a.m. to fall asleep.

**-Luxor, Egypt-**

Teyla stared down into her breakfast plate, wondering if the effort of picking up her fork took too much of her strength to be worth it. Keeping herself from falling face-first _onto_ her plate was already zapping more energy reserves than she had to spare.

Ronon's hand patted her knee under the table, then curled around her fingers. He gave her a quick look, his own eyes tired. She wondered if he'd spent the whole night sitting up on his bed, ear pressed against the wall, listening for more midnight marauders. The thought made her smile.

Dr. Hawass joined them not long after they reached the dining room, briefcase in hand. It didn't take them long to catch him up on what had happened, and now he sat shaking his head, his usually smiling face grim. He said a few words under his breath that weren't typically used in polite company – both she and John swallowed hard to hold in their laughter, since they understood Arabic – and shook his head. "Did you contact the authorities?"

Elizabeth nodded. "We coordinated with all the necessary people last night. They're working on it. It would appear this theft is connected to our search for Atlantis, though," she said in a low voice. "Only Teyla's and my papers were taken. All our valuables – jewelry, money, things like that – were left alone. And no other hotel rooms were touched."

"Fortunately, the women weren't in their room," Ronon said, voice tight. "These people are, undoubtedly, ruthless. Finding a lost city filled with amazing riches and untapped power—" He shrugged. "That's something serious enough for some people to kill for." His fingers twitched tighter against hers protectively.

Rodney's eyes darted toward the door, then back. He was probably considering the wisdom of staying.

Zahi nodded. "It is a good thing you're in a group," he said. "And now the police will be looking for those scoundrels."

"We have to start searching today," Teyla said. "It's a race now, us against them. They have all my notes, and all of Elizabeth's. They know what we're planning, where we're going. We have to find it first."

Dr. Hawass picked up his briefcase and handed it to her. "Here," he said. "These are the papers you need." He hesitated, taking a drink of coffee before continuing. He looked nervous. "The only reason why they allowed me to speed up the process is if you agreed to leave anything you might find here in Egypt. That is – all the artifacts, if there _are_ artifacts."

Teyla and Elizabeth exchanged glances. It was fair, after all. "We can copy any clues we might need?" the latter asked. "Take pictures, write down the facts, things like that?"

Zahi smiled, looking relieved. "Yes. All we ask is that you leave the artifacts themselves here."

"Fair enough," Elizabeth said.

"Excellent." He stood, looking apologetic. "I'm sorry, but I must return to Cairo. There are urgent matters that require my presence. Please keep me apprised of what happens – I find this whole thing very exciting." Zahi grinned, his tanned face morphing into jovial wrinkles. "Teyla, the Heart of Egypt. Effendi Sheppard, old friend. Dr. Weir, it was a pleasure to meet you. And you as well, Dr. McKay. Specialist Dex, good luck in all your endeavors. I look forward to hearing from you in the future." He left, clapping his famous hat onto his head as he exited the hotel.

"So where do we start?" Elizabeth asked.

McKay drained his coffee cup. "America, somewhere in the neighborhood of _Fort Knox_," he muttered. "You know – the _safest_ place on Earth."

"Sometimes you have to go through perilous times to reach safety," Elizabeth said calmly. "Giving up means they win. And I don't want them to win."

"Me either," John said, tapping his fist on the table. "We're going to find Atlantis first. These guys can't mean well, considering they broke in and took Elizabeth and Teyla's stuff. I very seriously doubt they want Atlantis for the ocean view."

"I don't like fortune hunters. Even worse than that, I don't like thieves. I say we find Atlantis ahead of them and keep it safe from whoever else wants to find it." Teyla lifted her head determinedly.

"I'm with you," Ronon said. There was a very dark look in his eyes – dark and dangerous. It made her swallow hard.

Rodney groaned, sliding down in his chair. "You guys just _had_ to lay on the guilt trip," he grumbled. "Okay, _fine_. I'll stay. We'll beat the forces of oppression, champion the underdogs, find the Lost City, etcetera, etcetera." He rolled his eyes. "Just don't expect me to _like_ it, okay?"

Elizabeth slapped Rodney on the arm as everyone else buried their grins and chuckles in their respective cups of coffee. "Dr. Negative," she was sure she heard Elizabeth mutter good-naturedly.

Looking around the table, Elizabeth's lips quirked into a smile. "So – are we ready for this?" She held out her hand, palm down.

Teyla reached out to put her hand over her friend's, Sheppard's right after. Ronon joined them a moment later, then McKay, who grumbled something that sounded decidedly unenthusiastic.

"Onward and upward," Elizabeth said.

"Expedition: Atlantis," everyone else finished.

"We're a team." Weir stood up, a determined smile on her lips. "Let's stick together, shall we?"

"Stick together and find Atlantis," Sheppard said.

"How about we go rediscover America," McKay groaned.

Teyla glanced over at Ronon as they left the hotel. Her eyes were drawn down to his lean waist, where she saw the cleverly hidden sheath. A handle protruded from one end.

Ronon followed her gaze. When he met her eyes again, his were serious. "Things are getting too dangerous," he said. "I may be just a diver, but I'd like to think I'm a good protector, too. Nothing is going to happen to this expedition, not if I have anything to say about it."

Slightly unsettled, Teyla looked away. Once more, she wished for her gun; just as quickly wished her father hadn't given it to her.

She didn't want weapons – any sort of weapons – to be necessary.

_-To Be Continued-_

**Bunnylass**: Whoa, thanks! Actually, I felt horrible for that – all that romantic tension building up, and he kissed her and everything. . . And then they found out her room had been broken into. That made me feel awful for doing that. But I am very glad you thought it was a nice twist! It will be a while yet, but I promise it is eventually revealed who else is trying to find Atlantis. And I know! Teyla and Elizabeth have found themselves very nice men. . . I'm glad you liked Rodney's line – I kind of wanted to end the chapter on a lighter note, after all the intense things that had happened earlier. Thank you! More about Ronon's past will come out later in the fic. Thank you so much for the review, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

**bailey1ak**: Thank you! I'm glad you liked the part were Teyla and Ronon were freely sharing the experiences of their pasts. I particularly enjoyed writing that scene! I wanted to end the chapter on a slightly lighter note, since the rest of it was so intense – so I'm glad you liked Rodney's line. Thank you so much for the review, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

**The City of Atlantis**: Yes! I felt horrible for their showing up in the last chapter, though. All that romance, all that building tension – and then boom. I felt awful for killing the mood! LOL It will be a little while yet, but I promise the identity of the others who are searching for Atlantis will be revealed – then have at them with that P-90! -wink- Thank you so much for the review, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

**SpaceMonkey0941**: It's okay! -hugs- Yes, Teyla's a little off-balance around Ronon, but I don't think she thinks that's necessarily a bad thing. -snicker- And you're right, Ronon basically feels the same way around her – for a multitude of reasons. I'm very glad you like the turn this story has taken! It is, essentially, a darker story, though I did start it out with a lot of fluff and general excitement and happiness. I felt it would need that, considering what is to come. . . But perhaps I'd better say no more than that. I hope you enjoyed watching last Friday's ep! Thank you so much for the review, and I hope you enjoy this chapter! -hugs-

**TheWelcomeStranger**: It will be a while yet before the meanings are revealed, but I promise _everything_ Ronon says is important! I also promise that there is going to be more of Rodney soon – not the next chapter, but the one after that. I'm glad you thought it was cute that John and Elizabeth were so absorbed with each other – you can thank my beta for that one, she begged me for it. LOL Thank you so much for the review, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!


	10. The Valley of the Kings

Please see first chapter for disclaimer, rating, warnings, pairings, etc.

Part 10/?

**-Chapter 9-**

_The Valley of the Kings_

The first tour of the Valley of the Kings started almost an hour after the expedition began their work. Most of the tourists were excited to see work going on during their visit, and many pictures were snapped. Elizabeth ignored them all, one hand on her hat as she craned her head back to look up. "Hmm," she said.

Rodney plopped down on a nearby rock, planting his elbows on his knees as his head drooped downward. "Ugh," he groaned. "Why do I get the feeling we're searching for something that doesn't exist? Or something that disappeared a thousand years ago? Like – the Loch Ness monster or something?"

Ronon turned from where he'd been studying the closed-off entrance to Rameses the Great's tomb. "I've been in Loch Ness," he said, deadpan. "There's definitely something down there."

"Yeah – like fish and shipwrecks!" McKay protested.

"Something bigger. Saw it myself. That thing is the size of a house, and _trust_ me – you_ don't_ want to see its teeth." Ronon saw Teyla looking at him curiously, and he winked. She looked away, smiling. He was happy to see her smile again. After last night, he wasn't sure she would. Despite her brave face, he knew the experience_ had_ to be terrifying. "Trust me, McKay. All those Nessie watchers know what they're talking about."

Rodney studied him with narrow-eyed suspicion, obviously trying to figure out if he was being played with. Ronon kept his expression perfectly smooth, casually turning back to the tomb entrance as he heard the scientist mutter something about airheads and swallowing too much salt water.

Chuckling, Ronon went to stand next to Weir, who was still studying the upper ridges of the cliff face. "What do you see?"

Elizabeth sighed gustily. "Nothing much," she admitted ruefully. "Unfortunately."

"We'll find it," Teyla said. "I just _know_ we will."

"Well, that's one of us," McKay muttered.

On his way past, Sheppard gently slapped his new friend across the back of the head. "Hey, what's with all the negativity? We need to think positively. If we're convinced we're not going to find it, we won't. If we're convinced we're _going_ to find it, even if we don't we'll know we really tried."

"Aren't you the epitome of enthusiasm," Rodney growled. But he obligingly stood and once more began to help them comb the area.

To the chorus of the tour guides yelling out information, the expedition continued their meticulous search of the Valley. Everything was mapped out neatly, though the area seemed rather helter-skelter, with tomb entrances everywhere. Ronon supposed the ancient tomb builders knew where everything was, and the knowledge had just been lost over time. At least now it made sense – no wonder it took so long to find lost tombs in this chaos.

Teyla came astride of him, holding out a water bottle. Ronon thanked her and eagerly took it, gulping it down. The bottle was sweating, and the water inside was cool. "How—?"

She chuckled. "A cooler. I brought some of our bottled water with us – it gets very hot here. Dehydration is a major factor in any sort of excavation in Egypt. And – well, since you're some kind of merman with the ability to walk on land, I thought you'd appreciate some water." Laughing, she playfully ducked away from the water he flung at her off his fingertips. "Sorry."

"It's okay." Ronon squinted up at the rock face before them, keen eyes searching the area for any sign of a feather-like carving or natural formation. "The feather of Maat," he mused aloud.

"One of the ancient Egyptian goddesses. She always wore a feather in her headdress." Teyla took her hat off long enough to smooth her wet hand over her hair before replacing it. "The shadows are starting to move. As long as we stay on this side, we should be in the shade pretty soon."

That was certainly an improvement over the whole valley being soaked in sunshine. "What if we're looking in the wrong place?" Ronon asked. "Isn't there another valley?"

"The Valley of the Queens," Teyla said, nodding. "Known to the Egyptians as the Valley of the Monkeys because of a well-preserved decorative painting in one of the tombs. But – I'm positive the carving on that tablet said the Valley of the _Kings_." She dug around in her pocket, then pulled out a crumpled piece of paper. Unfolding it, she held it out to him. "Here. I copied it so I wouldn't forget it – I'm lucky I remembered to slip it in my purse last night. Now then, the very first line says, 'In the land of the great, where the Pharaoh is reborn every morn.' That means the Valley of the Kings, because Egyptian kings were buried in this valley. Only queens, princesses, and princes were buried in the Valley of the Queens." She tapped her cheek with one slender finger, her eyes thoughtful.

"'Find the honored feather of Maat. There lies Atlantis's Child.'" Ronon finished off the quotation as he folded up the paper and handed it back to her. "Does that mean that one of the inhabitants of Atlantis temporarily _ruled_ Egypt as a pharaoh?"

Elizabeth, who at that moment had been walking by, stopped in her tracks. Turning, she looked at them with wide eyes. "I'd never thought of that," she whispered.

Teyla blinked a few times. "Me neither," she said. "I always figured the Atlantians would be considered honored guests to the Egyptians. And _maybe_ that would give them reason to bury an Atlantian here. But – if an Atlantian _actually_ ruled, even if it was only for a few days. . ." She stopped, her breath short.

Ronon arched his eyebrows. "It was just a theory." The only things he knew about ancient Egyptian culture and traditions was what he'd learned from Teyla, and the occasional tour he'd taken before he met up with the expedition. He'd thrown out the thought, kind of as a joke, and now suddenly everyone was taking him seriously!

By now, Sheppard and McKay had joined them. "Cook's tour is off for lunch," the latter informed them. "Don't you think it's time we followed suit?"

"Wait, wait." Elizabeth waved her hand distractedly, pacing back and forth in a tidy line across the sand. "My gosh. If that's true – and an Atlantian ruled Egypt. . ."

"It makes sense," Teyla said. "Obviously the Egyptians and the Atlantians had _some_ sort of tie. The Atlantians especially, if I remember correctly, were exceptional traders. People came from _everywhere_ to do business with them. It would make sense that the Egyptians, who were all but the supreme military power at that time, would form some sort of bond with the Atlantians. Perhaps a friendship with 'Lantian royalty. . ." She stopped. "Conjecture, conjecture, have to watch the conjecture," she muttered to herself.

"But _wait_!" Elizabeth said. The two women were on a roll, now. Ronon was quite content to sit back, watch, listen, and enjoy himself. "The tablet I found on Santorini specifically cited Egypt as the location they planned to escape to _after_ the disaster happened."

"Which means they must have known about it ahead of time, somehow," Teyla mused.

"Exactly!" Weir clapped her hands excitedly. "Now then, _if_ the escaping Atlantians still wanted to retain some of their power in the world, it would make sense for them to join the Egyptians in some way or another. Becoming the pharaoh, one of the most powerful men on Earth at the time, would be the _perfect_ way to do that."

"Other than bringing Atlantis back," Teyla agreed.

"_If_ Atlantis still exists!" Rodney chimed in. "I mean – it's been _how_ many years? Don't you think it's been destroyed by now? If nothing else, the elements had to have done a lot of damage to it!"

Elizabeth shook her head. "No," she said firmly. "I refuse to think about that right now. We don't even know where it is. I admit the _possibility_ of its being destroyed is something to consider. But at this moment, we need to concentrate on _this part_ of our work. If we go running ahead of ourselves, we're bound to miss something. And the stakes are higher than ever now. We _can't_ miss anything."

Sheppard ran his hand through his hair. "So now we're not _just_ looking for an Atlantian, we're looking for Egyptian royalty, too?"

Weir shrugged. "Perhaps. Like Teyla said, this is all conjecture. None of this is substantiated, and we could be _way_ off track."

"But it makes _sense_," Ronon said. "You both said so."

Teyla's lips briefly quirked into a tired, half-amused smile. "Thank you for having so much faith in us, Ronon," she said.

He shrugged. "You're the experts," he said. "I shouldn't claim to know anything, at least not in this locale. In the water. . . But that's something else entirely. You both really seem to know what you're talking about. And we're a team, for better or worse, right?"

Weir smiled at him, her expression sunny despite the serious atmosphere. "Right," she said. "Thank you, Ronon."

Rodney cleared his throat. "Cook's tour left? The place is empty? It's _noon_? Lunch? Anyone?"

A laugh bubbled free from Teyla's lips. "Well, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to stop for a while."

"Half an hour," Elizabeth agreed. "Then we've got to search again."

"The Valley closes at six," Sheppard said. "We have until then."

Weir sighed. "Six more hours. Hopefully we'll find something in that time."

_Something big,_ everyone else thought to themselves. _The something we're looking for_.

Teyla looked around, knowing she was only seeing a fraction of the Valley. _This is going to take forever._

_-To Be Continued-_

**Bunnylass**: I know! Rodney is just _so_ much fun to write, I love working on the scenes with him. That is what I was going for! _Empire_ has taken a darker turn as of late, so I always try to slip a bit of levity in there to lighten things up. Thanks! Now that they're getting down to the interesting stuff, searching and then hopefully excavating in the Valley, I've been getting excited, too! Hmm – perhaps. -wink- Even though a few of them are carrying weapons, they're all hoping it won't be necessary. Hopefully there won't be any more trouble. . . But we know how that goes. LOL I hope you enjoy this chapter, and thank you so much for the review!

**bailey1ak**: Thank you! I figured it would be safest for everyone if the girls' room was between the guys', with a door open so the slightest sound will be noticed. I love writing Rodney! I try very hard to keep him in character, so I'm glad you found his wanting to change rooms like him. I like seeing Ronon as a protector, too. He's determined to keep the team safe, and I think everyone is hoping he will. LOL I hope you enjoy this chapter, and thank you so much for the review!

**SpaceMonkey0941**: Yes! LOL I loved writing that part, it was just so much fun. Ronon's determined to keep them safe, and I think everyone's hoping he will. Even though they're _all_ hoping the weapons and extra precaution won't be necessary – but we know how that goes! I promise it won't be _too_ much longer before it's obvious who the opposition is! I hope you enjoy this chapter, and thank you so much for the review! -hugs-

**The City of Atlantis**: Thank you! I agree, too – fortune hunters, thieves, and murderers are always bad news: especially if their hunches are right. I'm glad you liked Rodney's line at the end, and everyone's reactions. It was a lot of fun to write! Plus I like to keep a little levity in there, particularly since _Empire_ is taking a slightly darker turn than it seemed in the beginning. I hope you enjoy this chapter, and thank you so much for the review!

**TheWelcomeStranger**: Yes, we are! In the next few chapters, different sides of everyone will start coming out – including Rodney, whose back-story is in the next chapter! I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter immensely, and I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint! Thank you so much for the review!

**Alexiel974**: Thank you! I'm glad you liked Teyla as a professor, I've always wanted to cast her in such a role in one of my fics. I'm very glad you find my AU interesting; I hope I don't disappoint you with future chapters! Thank you so much for all your reviews, and for translating one of my stories! -hugs- Thank you again so much for everything, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!


	11. Encounters

Please see first chapter for disclaimer, rating, warnings, pairings, etc.

Part 11/?

**Important Author's Note**: _Again – I apologize for the reeeeally long wait between chapters! My phone is _finally_ fixed, so now I can update much faster. Thank you all so much for the kind words, well wishes, and, of course, the reviews! You all are so awesome. Thank you all so much for your patience, and I hope you enjoy this new chapter!_

**-Chapter 10-**

_Encounters_

Teyla lowered herself to the sand in the shade of one of the open tomb entrances, leveling a sweet smile at the man already sitting there. "How are you doing, Dr. McKay?"

Rodney looked up from his sandwich. He seemed surprised to see her there. "Oh – fine, I suppose. Where's Conan?"

Feeling her lips twitch – though even she wasn't sure if it was in amusement or chagrin – in response to Rodney's nickname for Ronon, Teyla unwrapped her own sandwich. "Ronon is with Elizabeth and John. The last I heard, Elizabeth was drilling Ronon for more information on underwater excavation. She has a feeling that Atlantis is _deep_ underwater."

McKay capped off his water bottle, gazing at her with steady blue-grey eyes. "And you?"

Teyla shrugged. "I'm not an expert on Atlantian history," she said. "My specialty is Egypt, which is why I'm here." Ducking her head, she wiped a bit of mayo off her upper lip. She might love Egypt, but American food was a delicacy every now and then. "What about you, Dr. McKay? What's your story – if you don't mind? Elizabeth mentioned you've been friends for a long time."

Rodney grinned. "We have." Setting his notebook to the side, he turned to face her better. "I grew up in Canada, just a few miles north of the border into Maine. I've always been brilliant." He looked supercilious for a moment, then his expression faded. "For a while I played the piano. My parents had great hopes for me, they wanted me to be famous. To give big concerts all over the world, to have my name in lights and all that. They expected me to be the next Rubinstein or Horowitz, I guess." He shook his head. "I found something I loved better, though. When I was in third grade, I built a bomb for my class's science fair." A dry chuckle escaped him, and his eyes sparkled wryly. "Less than an hour later, I had the military intelligence knocking at my door. I suppose they saw my potential, more than anyone else. . ."

She'd been so engrossed in Rodney's story, Teyla realized she'd been forgetting to eat. Shaking herself a little, she took another bite of her sandwich. "Go on, please," she begged.

"While I was in college, I had any number of scientific institutions practically breaking down my door wanting to hire me after college. I even saw the intelligence guys a few times more. I got my fame, though – not as my parents had anticipated, but I got it." Sighing, Rodney polished off the rest of his sandwich before he continued. "I met Elizabeth during my second year. She was an archeology student, not a scientist, but we just clicked. We were instant friends. Though I did eventually take a job after college, Elizabeth always managed to talk me into building things to help her advance her work in Santorini and Crete. She told me she was onto something, something big – something that would change the world as we knew it. I wasn't sure how to take that – I didn't even believe her at the time, to be truthful – but I helped her." He shrugged. "And here I am. I guess I should believe her now – she's on to something, I'll give her that." A wry smile twisted his lips. "I shouldn't have doubted her." He shook his head. "I just wish—" Rodney stopped abruptly, looking at her out of the corner of his eye. "Never mind." Nervously, he screwed and unscrewed the top of his canteen.

"It _is_ dangerous," Teyla said softly. "I must admit, I've never come up against something like this before. I'm used to dealing with tombs caving in, of the fear of losing tomb paintings because they've been exposed to the heat and air. . . Those are the things _I'm_ accustomed to. But _this_ – this is like nothing I knew. I thought this sort of thing was just supposed to happen in one of those fantastic mystery novels. Mystery; intrigue; rooms being broken into – romance." She murmured the last under her breath.

"_Murder_," Rodney finished. "I have a bad feeling about this. Everything isn't all sugar and roses. It's serious! Someone broke into your and Elizabeth's room. Who knows what could be next? Mine and Sheppard's? Ronon's? Yours again – and this time you'll be _inside_ it?" His eyes bulged, horrified. "You could be killed."

Teyla shivered. "I've had thoughts along the same line myself," she said. "I'd rather not talk about it."

McKay clapped his hand over his mouth. "Oh, I'm so sorry," he said from behind his fingers. "Honestly, I didn't mean to— Ugh, I'm such an idiot sometimes. I just blurt out what I'm thinking without meaning to, and – and I'm making things worse, aren't I?" His eyes grew even wider, if possible.

Smiling softly, Teyla patted Rodney's arm. "It's fine," she said. "The thing is, we're all on the alert now. We're _expecting_ something bad. But if it makes you feel any better, I don't think anything is going to happen. Not this soon, at least." She yawned. Good food, the cool shade of the tomb's entrance, and lack of sleep made her want to take a nap. However, there was a job to do – _and_ they were working on a time table. "As long as we're careful, and don't go anywhere alone, we'll be fine." She _hoped_ her words were true even as she said them.

John appeared then, his sunglasses mostly hiding the top half of his face. "Hey kids," he said. The cheerfulness in his voice contained only a trace of underlying tension. "I was sent to tell you to get it moving. Elizabeth said it's time to get back to work."

Teyla quietly repacked the picnic basket and cooler as McKay worked on the gear he'd brought. "Thank you," she said.

Sheppard knelt to help her. "D'you think we'll find anything today?" he asked.

"The Valley is huge," she said. "We know that better than anyone else." Sighing, Teyla carefully closed the cooler, then wiped the moisture on her hands off on the thighs of her jeans. "I _want_ to find something here today. But to be honest, I don't _think_ we'll find anything this soon."

John looked depressed. "I was afraid you'd say that," he sighed. "The consensus seems to be that we won't find anything – not for a couple of days, at least."

"I just hope the layout of the Valley hasn't changed a lot," Teyla said. "That's my biggest fear. New tombs have been cut; the Valley has flooded many times; and years of excavations have themselves changed this place. Any number of things could have happened to Maat's feather – whatever that's supposed to be."

"A carving," Rodney suggested, looking up from his pack.

Sheppard nodded. "That's what I was thinking," he said. "Maybe something that marks the hidden entrance to a previously undiscovered tomb?"

Teyla drummed her fingers on the lid of the picnic basket. "Hmm," she said. "That's yet another reason to hope the layout hasn't changed. This place has been gone over with fine-toothed combs by so many people for so many years. How it could have been missed in the past. . ." She ran her hand through her hair. "We all went over the excavation notes for the Valley before we left Cairo. Natural rock formations _were_ mentioned, but none of them cited the feather of Maat in particular." Rubbing her temples with her fingertips, she tried to ignore the incipient migraine she could feel building in her head. "I'm trying to be positive. I'm trying to tell myself that the Valley hasn't changed that much, that what we're looking for is there. And, preferably, easy to find."

"If it were easy to find, it _would_ have been found by now," McKay said.

Sheppard scowled. "Easy to find by _us_," he elaborated. "Teyla and I grew up here in Egypt. We know this place."

"We have a – well, sixth sense sounds a little _too_ out there, but something like that. We're hoping our intimate knowledge of Egypt will help us." Teyla looked at John. "Your family has excavated here," she said. "If either of us has a chance of finding it, it's you. My family never had a chance to work in the Valley – not until now. You know this place."

The retired colonel's lips twisted ruefully. "No pressure, though, right?"

Teyla chuckled. "No pressure."

Elizabeth appeared then. "Come on, guys, time's wasting!" She disappeared again, her body language distinctly on edge.

The trio dispersed to continue their long day's work.

**-Luxor, Egypt-**

"What do you think?"

Teyla lifted her pillow off her eyes to look at Elizabeth, who sat cross-legged on her bed. "What do I think about what?" she asked, squinting in the bright light. Her headache throbbed viciously, so she lowered her pillow back over her eyes with a soft moan.

"I think we should start locking up our notes in the vault," Weir responded. "It's _definitely_ more secure than our room."

"Too bad we had to learn that the hard way," Teyla sighed.

"I'm sorry," Elizabeth said. "I'm not helping your migraine get any better, making you answer my questions." Fabric rustled and bed springs squeaked softly as she got off the bed – at least, Teyla presumed that's what her friend was doing. "I'll go next door. Maybe John and Rodney can help. You rest – I hope those pills kick in soon."

Teyla mumbled an incoherent thank you, relieved when she heard the light switch click off and the door between rooms slip closed. Rolling onto her side, she flung one arm over her pillow, putting pressure against the screaming hurt in the left side of her head. She usually got migraines the first two or three days after coming back to Egypt and working full days, but she'd expected still to be accustomed to it, considering how little time she'd spent back in America. Or, maybe it was a combination of work, little sleep, and stress.

The murmur of voices in the next room eventually lulled Teyla to sleep. She wasn't sure how long she'd been lost in uneasy dreams when something gently brushed her arm.

Snapping awake, Teyla sat up while at the same time making a grab for the throat of the presence hovering next to the bed.

"Hey!"

Groaning, Teyla subsided back onto her pillow. "Ugh," she half-growled. "Ronon, don't_ do_ that."

"Sorry." She could just make out his strong silhouette in the slit of light coming through the mostly-closed door between the rooms. "I got bored next door. I wanted to come check on you, see if you're feeling better. Dr. Weir mentioned something about it being time for more pills for you, if your headache wasn't better." His hand gently brushed her shoulder, then her hair. His feather-light touch, _almost_ surprising considering the hard strength of his large, calloused hands, made her heartbeat turn frantic in a different way. "I didn't mean to scare you."

Teyla rubbed her eyes sleepily. "It's just a normal headache now," she said. "I'll take some aspirin." Yawning, she lifted her arm to look at the luminescent dial on her watch. "Oh my. Is it only nine?"

Ronon shifted to sit on the edge of her bed, looking at her suspiciously. "Boy, you've got great reflexes," he said. "If I hadn't seen what you were doing, you would have had me by the throat. Where'd you learn to do that?"

Teyla wasn't sure, but she _thought_ she heard admiration in his voice. "If you haven't noticed," she said, "there are some dangerous areas here in Egypt. I took some self-defense lessons back in America. It's not much, but I feel fairly confident that I can take care of myself in certain situations."

Her tall companion put a hand over his mouth, only halfway muffling a massive yawn. "Sorry." He shook his head. "Today was a long day."

She patted his forearm. "How are you feeling?"

A soft, warm chuckle sang in her ears. "Sunburned. Tired. Sore in places I didn't even know I had." The bed moved as Ronon shifted. He sighed heavily. "I've missed swimming. I think I've lost some of my toning – I'm out of practice." His hand found hers and softly squeezed. "Stupid shoulder."

Teyla swallowed back her immediate response. _Oh, no, Ronon – your toning is _just fine_ the way it is._ She wondered how he'd react if she said something like that, then decided not to take the chance. "It should be better soon, right?" she asked instead. "If nothing else, the hotel has a pool."

Ronon laughed again. "It's a little smaller than I'm used to, but I guess I _am_ desperate enough to do that." He was quiet for a moment. Then, "I'm sorry. You don't feel like company." He made to stand.

"No!" Teyla clutched his hand with both of hers. "Please don't go." Heat suffused her cheeks, and she was glad it was too dark for him to see. Whatever had made her be so bold with a man she barely knew?

Squeezing her hand, Ronon sat down again. "If you're sure. . .?"

"I'm sure." Teyla shifted onto her side. Even though she couldn't see him in the dark, she wanted to face him more squarely, anyway. "Tell me – what are they talking about?"

Ronon made an unusual noise in his throat. "Well, Sheppard and Weir are discussing what happened today. McKay is sitting on his bed working on his laptop – something about the layout of the Valley and a new computer program. Weir seems to think we'll find something tomorrow – I think she's trying to talk Sheppard into sneaking back into the Valley tonight." He laughed again, back to his carefree self. Gooseflesh rippled across her arms at the sound, and she smiled as he said, "I don't think he'll go for it, though."

"I would hope not." Teyla let go of Ronon's hand long enough to stretch. Now that she'd had a shower, pain pills, and some sleep, she felt a better than she had all day. Then again, the company probably had a lot to do with that, too. "Even though there's no way of knowing what the _others_ are doing."

Ronon was quiet for a couple of beats, and his hand moved to rest on her waist. "They'd better not be planning anything," he muttered.

The phone rang in the room next to theirs. Teyla and Ronon both went absolutely still as they listened. Sheppard answered the phone, but they couldn't hear what he was saying.

"Do you need your aspirins now?" Ronon asked eventually.

"No. Not on an empty stomach, at least." Teyla pushed a few strands of hair off her face, and admitted, "I am _really_ hungry."

A flicker of white let her know Ronon had smiled. "We could sneak out, down to the hotel's dining room," he said. "I'm sure they're still serving _something_."

Teyla's heartbeat sped up again, just a little bit. "Maybe – something."

Bright light suddenly invaded the room. Teyla flinched away, but she wasn't quick enough to raise her hands to her face. Ronon was faster, one of his long hands folding over her eyes. "What?" he snapped. From the sound of his voice, he was considering decking whoever had opened the door.

"We have a problem." It was John, and he sounded shaken.

Gently, Teyla lifted Ronon's hand off her eyes and sat up. Ronon slipped his arm around her waist to steady her. "What's wrong?" she asked. Through her squinted eyes, she saw the whitish pallor of John's tanned face. "John? What happened?"

"That was Dr. Hawass," he responded.

Teyla felt her breath go short as the muscles in Ronon's arm go harder than normal.

John's eyes met hers with unsteady fright. "He was working late at the museum, and was one of the last ones out. When he left, he – found Selim by the back door." He ran his hand through his hair as Elizabeth's and Rodney's white faces appeared behind his shoulder. "Teyla – Selim's been murdered."

_-To Be Continued-_

**bailey1ak**: Wow, thank you so much! I'm very honored. I have been working on this story for a very long time, trying to weave a believable history and mythology into it, so I'm glad to hear your thoughts on it. I'm so sorry it's taken me so long to update this with a new chapter, and the review replies! But I hope the wait was worth it. Thank you so much for the review!

**The City of Atlantis**: Thank you! I love sprinkling a bit of humor in every now and then, to lighten things up a bit, especially considering some of the things happening in this story. I'm glad you thought the Egypt/Atlantis tie was interesting – I've been working a long time to work in a believable history/mythology for the link! I'm so glad you found a fellow _Stargate_ fan! I was hoping you would. Thank you so much for your review, and I hope you enjoy the new chapter – so sorry for the long wait!

**Bunnylass**: Really? That is so neat! I try to watch every Egyptian special I can, it's just so fascinating! I'm sorry you had to leave before it was over, though. I kind of threw the name in because, second to Tut, he's the most famous of the Egyptian pharaohs – mostly because he plastered his face all over Egypt, LOL. I'm glad you like the part where John slapped Rodney upside the head – it was a lot of fun! And I couldn't resist Ronon's comment about Nessie – it's another myth I'm interested in, and I could imagine him saying that, just to bug McKay. I'm sorry it's taken me so-o-o long to update, but I hope you enjoy the new chapter!

**TeylaFan**: Wow. O.O I have some catching up to do! LOL Let's see. . . I just _had_ to write everyone into this fic, I wanted the whole team to be there. Other familiar faces will begin to emerge soon, I promise. Hmm – I think I can promise you there will be _at least_ one scene were Ronon takes her out diving. -wink- I'm really glad you enjoyed the part where Teyla was dancing, and Ronon was drawn to her! That was so much fun to write (and you can imagine why I stuck that in there, LOL). I'm also glad you like the twists I added in! I figured it was about time to get down to business – to the darker side of this story. Even though you know me, I wish the whole thing could be happy and fluffy. No, I haven't mentioned if she's a good fighter or not – but I'll say she's not as good as she is in the show, but she has had self-defense training. But that might improve here in a bit. . . -wink (again)- I totally agree – if only he would! I'm not so big on diving, but if he were taking me – I think I'd go. LOL Wow, thanks! Even though I just recently started writing this story, I've been working on it for years. I'm working with all the knowledge of Egypt I've stored up over my life, weaving it together with a kind of "alternate" history I've come up with, tying Egyptian myth and Atlantian together. So I'm very glad you think it's all coming together well, that all that work is paying off! This story is _so-o-o-o_ much my baby, it's not even funny. LOL I hope you continue to enjoy this story – and thank you so much for all the reviews!

**Alexiel974**: Thank you so much! I'm very glad you're liking my characterizations of everyone – even though this is an AU, I'm trying so hard to keep the essence of who each character is, while also attempting to grow and flesh it out a bit. Thank you so much for the reviews, and I'm so sorry it's taken me so long to update this story with review replies and a new chapter! I hope the wait was worth it! Thank you again!


	12. Masqueraders

Please see first chapter for disclaimer, rating, warnings, pairings, etc.

Part 12/?

**Important Author's Note**: _Again – I apologize for the reeeeally long wait between chapters! My phone is _finally_ fixed, so now I can update much faster. Thank you all so much for the kind words, well wishes, and, of course, the reviews! You all are so awesome. I updated the previous chapter with the review replies – I'm so sorry it took so long! But thank you all so much for your patience, and I hope you enjoy this new chapter!_

**-Chapter 11-**

_Masqueraders_

"Dead? _Selim_?" Teyla felt the dull numbness of shock spread across her chest. _Selim? He never hurt anyone. He had a successful cart in the _suk_, he was going to take over his father's restaurant. . ._

John looked down at his empty hands, as if he was expecting to be holding something. "The police found a note. There's no doubt the murder is connected to us."

"What makes you say that?" Ronon's hand, which he'd been gently rubbing up and down her arm, paused.

Behind John, Elizabeth and Rodney inched a little closer. Apparently this was the first they'd heard of it, too.

"According to Dr. Hawass, the letter warned us _not_ to look any further for Atlantis, or we'd regret it. The next time, it would be one of _us_." Sheppard looked grim, his face still white. "It – wasn't pretty."

Teyla covered her face with her hands, struggling to keep her emotions under control. Whoever was pursuing them had been at it for a while, considering the fact that they must have known Selim was her friend. Did that mean the warning was directed at her in particular? Or was that just a coincidence?

Elizabeth squeezed past John to come sit by her. Wrapping her arm around Teyla's shoulders, she said, "I'll leave it up to you, Teyla. He was your friend. If – if you say we should abandon our search for Atlantis, we will."

All eyes were on her. Teyla looked up, carefully gauging everyone's expressions. Rodney looked anxious; Ronon and John worried; and Elizabeth's face was carefully shuttered. They really _were_ leaving it up to her.

Part of her wanted to cut and run back to America, and leave Atlantis to whomever it was desperate enough to kill to find it. The other part of her, however – admittedly the _larger_ part of her – wanted desperately to keep searching, to _beat_ the others. Giving up now would make her feel like she was failing Selim, making his death meaningless. Besides that, she'd be disappointing Elizabeth, who'd looked forward to finding Atlantis her entire life. _And_ that would mean the bad guys won. She didn't want the bad guys to win.

"If everyone else is okay with it, I want to keep searching." Teyla felt quite proud of herself when her voice didn't shake.

Ronon's arm tightened around her waist a little as Elizabeth hugged her around her shoulders. "Are you sure, Teyla?"

"I'm sure. Quitting now would mean Selim's death was for nothing, and the bad guys would win. I don't want them to win." She knew this would probably make things worse, but this _had_ to be done. Atlantis couldn't fall into evil hands.

Elizabeth looked around at the others, all of whom agreed with Teyla's words. They were all determined to keep searching, but no one got much sleep that night. Each of them was waiting for the door to open and reveal a killer. . .

**-Luxor, Egypt: Teyla & Elizabeth's hotel room-**

Early the next morning, a knock on the door woke Teyla and Elizabeth. John appeared in the doorway only a moment later. Holding his finger to his lips, he looked through the peephole, nodded, and disappeared back into his room.

Tying her robe around her waist, Teyla opened the door to face the concierge. With a deep bow, the short man held out an envelope. "This arrived for you this morning, Sitt," he said. With another bow, he accepted the baksheesh she handed him and withdrew.

Elizabeth sat up and rubbed her eyes. "What is it?" she asked with a yawn.

"I'm not sure." Teyla closed and locked the door again. She opened the envelope and withdrew the piece of paper inside as she sat down on her bed again.

The writing was familiar. The words were in Arabic – sloppy Arabic, as if the writer had been in a hurry. Teyla felt the blood drain out of her face as she realized this might have been the last letter the writer would ever compose.

Weir saw her expression. "Teyla?"

Teyla couldn't tear her eyes from the page. She read the words over and over again, refusing to accept them.

_Tread carefully, Heart of Egypt. A traitor lies trusted among you._

When Teyla didn't respond, Elizabeth got out of bed to sit next to her friend. She looked at the paper, her forehead crinkling when she saw the Arabic letters. "What does it say?" she asked.

Quietly, Teyla stood and went to close the door between their room and John and Rodney's. Sitting down next to Elizabeth again, she put her lips directly next to the other woman's ear and whispered as softly as she could. "This is a letter from Selim. I-I guess it's the last one he ever wrote. It's a warning. He says here, 'Tread carefully, Heart of Egypt. A traitor lies trusted among you.'" She knew she could trust Elizabeth. But she wasn't sure whom else she could trust, especially considering this letter.

"It doesn't say who it is?" Weir's face was very pale but surprisingly calm.

"No." Teyla looked down at the paper and its single line of text. "Unfortunately. It says the traitor is 'trusted' – so it's one of the team. Someone we know, someone we've been working with." Her voice broke. There were three suspects: John, the man she considered her brother in every way but blood, her childhood friend; Rodney, a dear friend of Elizabeth's. But he seemed too _sweet_ (if even a little sarcastic) to be a traitor.

That left Ronon. . . The only one they didn't know. Pain seized her throat, and she felt tears well into her eyes. She didn't want to believe it. He'd been protecting her, keeping her safe from the dangers around them. He'd been open and honest with her; taken care of her; seemed to _like_ her. A lot. She was beginning to care for him quite a bit, too.

Elizabeth looked at her with worried eyes. "I don't want to believe it's any of them," she whispered. "It _can't_ be." She sounded just as pained.

Teyla knew her friend had been developing feelings for John, just as she had for Ronon. It was hard for either of them to believe. How could there be a traitor among them? "He's very good, whoever he is," Teyla whispered.

Weir cringed. "I don't want to believe it," she whispered, broken.

Dropping the note to her lap, Teyla rubbed her hands over her face. "I don't, either. But – there have been some things – it's hard to believe everything could have been engineered without someone among us being a snitch. The timing has been so _perfect_ for things. . . Like how you and I happened to be out of our rooms that night."

Elizabeth blanched. "No!" she said fiercely. To her, that meant one of two things. One: John had gotten her out of the room, perhaps to get her out of the way so those he was working with could search the room – with or without Teyla inside. Two: if it _had_ been a mere coincidence on his part, that meant Rodney might have been behind it. He had been the only one to remain in his room, claiming he wasn't hungry. . .

Teyla felt the same way as Weir. Ronon had come to take her out – and though he didn't leave her once, he had plenty of time to arrange something while she was showering and changing after she'd agreed to go out with him. Maybe two of them were working together. . .

"No, no!" Elizabeth said. It was as if she'd read Teyla's mind. "I won't believe it!" She grasped Teyla's hand tightly. "It has to be a mistake. A forgery, made up by those who want Atlantis. _Something_!"

Teyla wanted so badly to believe Elizabeth. It would make sense for the bad guys to come up with a forged note. If everyone was busy suspecting everyone else within the group, it would take longer for them to get work done. They'd all be too busy watching everyone else for signs of attack or betrayal. It would be easier for the _others_ to find the track down the remaining clues and "discover" Atlantis themselves. Planting a seed of mistrust among them _would_ be the perfect red herring. . .

. . .But there was no doubt in Teyla's mind. The note was written in Selim's handwriting.

"Unless. . ." She murmured aloud.

"Unless?" Elizabeth clung to the word, her eyes too wide for her pale, thin face.

"It's wishful thinking," Teyla said wistfully.

"What? What? Please, tell me!"

Teyla tapped the letter with her finger. "I have no doubt that this is Selim's handwriting. It's possible the _others_ had him write it and send it before they killed him." _Possible, but not likely._ She did not voice the words.

Elizabeth looked disappointed. "You don't believe that, do you?" she whispered.

Reluctantly, Teyla shook her head. "No," she said mournfully.

Both of them jumped when a knock sounded on the door between rooms. "Ladies, are you decent?" John's voice called.

"Yes," Teyla said. Elizabeth hurriedly jumped back into her bed as Teyla casually folded the letter and tucked it into the pocket of her robe. She'd have to find a place to hide it later – or maybe it would be a better idea to _destroy_ it. But wouldn't the police need it? "Come in."

John opened the door and poked his disheveled head around it. "Morning, girls. I was wondering if we were going to get breakfast before we went out to the Valley, or if we were just going straight out and working through with no food?" His words were a little too cheerful – it was obvious he was forcing himself to be upbeat.

Elizabeth ran her hand through her curls and smiled. The expression was just as false as John's merriment. "Sorry," she said. "We'll meet you downstairs in ten minutes."

Sheppard nodded, grinned, and closed the door again.

Teyla and Elizabeth looked at each other, eyes serious. They could only trust each other – they'd have to be extra careful from here on out.

Just in case.

_-To Be Continued-_

**Bunnylass**: Wow, thank you! I'm glad you liked Ronon and Teyla's little moment, it was so much fun to write, even in the face of what was coming next. I'm also glad you liked the beginning of the chapter, with Teyla and Rodney. It was fun to write, also a bit different – I just realized they don't socialize much in my fics, LOL. I find them difficult to write together, for some reason. I hope to improve upon that. . . I'm sorry again it took me so long to update this, with the review replies and a new chapter – but I hope the wait was worth it! Thank you so much for the review!

**The City of Atlantis**: I know! I hated writing the ending of that chapter, even though I'd been planning it for a while – ever since I first came up with Selim's character. I've been dreading writing that. But I promise his death won't be in vain! And that you'll have a chance to use that P-90 – though it will still be a few more chapters (with perhaps a preview in the next? -wink-). I'm so sorry it's taken me so long to update this – but I hope it was worth the wait! Thank you so much for the review!

**Alexiel974**: Thank you! I'm glad you really enjoyed the previous chapter – I enjoyed writing it (well – except, maybe, the ending). I adore writing Rodney, he's so much fun to play with, though I find him a little hard to write when socializing with Teyla. . . But I'll work on it. I know! I hated writing the ending, I've been dreading it the whole story so far, and even before that – ever since I first thought of his character. Thank you so much for your kind words about Ike – you're very sweet! I promise we're all okay, just very relieved that we didn't sustain major damage, just had our power and Internet knocked out for a while! I'm so sorry it's taken me so long to update this, but I hope the wait was worth it! Thank you so much for the review!

**bailey1ak**: I know! It makes me feel horrible, especially considering how long it's taken me to update! I'm glad you liked the interaction between Rodney and Teyla, I find them a little hard to write when socializing, but I'm going to work on that. I'm also glad you liked the part with Ronon and Teyla, I really enjoyed writing it – a little lighthearted and sweet before the cliffhanger at the end. Again, I'm so sorry it's taken me so long to update – I hope the wait was worth it! Thank you so much for the review!


	13. Covert Contacts

Please see first chapter for disclaimer, rating, warnings, pairings, etc.

Part 13/?

**-Chapter 12-**

_Covert Contacts_

His cell phone chirped angrily, the third time in a row, and probably the same caller, too. Sighing, he put aside the _important_ paperwork he'd been doing and answered it. Heaven only knew what the roaming charges would be – oh well, surely the Organization would pay. "Hello?"

A violent outpouring of invective flooded his ear. Making a wry face, he held the phone away from his ear for a moment until the torrent ended. Returning the phone to his ear, he said dryly, "Are you finished now?"

"What are you doing?" the man on the other end demanded. "How stupid are you?"

"Apparently not as stupid as you."

More swearing. "It's bad enough you're doing _everything_ else. Did you have to kill the informant, too?"

Uninterested, he examined his fingernails. Hmm – there was still some dried blood under there. He'd have to take care of that, and soon. "He sent the prof a note. Unfortunately, we couldn't intercept it, and it was delivered this morning. That was supposed to be _your_ job too, you know."

This time there was nothing but silence on the other end of the line. He was just about to hang up when the other man finally spoke again. "I don't suppose you know what the letter said?"

"No, not in exact terms."

A low sound, somewhere between a growl and a moan, emitted from the phone. The reaction elicited a laugh from the receiver of the sound. "Oh, don't be so grouchy. For a man who is usually so good natured, I'm surprised you're not a ray of sunshine this morning."

There was a disgusted sound, then, "Easy for _you_ to say. _Your_ neck isn't on the line."

"True. To paraphrase, I'm sure the note warned that there is a traitor somewhere in the Atlantis expedition. I attempted to get information out of dear departed Selim before he breathed his last, but he didn't budge." Sighing, he propped his feet up on the shabby desk before him and studied his shoes. He'd have to wash the blood off them, too. Blast.

"So you don't know whether or not the note identified the traitor?"

He shrugged, even though he knew the man on the other end of the call couldn't see. "You're still there, aren't you? Hmm. Then no, I'm guessing the note _didn't_ reveal the identity of the traitor. You're safe – and I expect you to keep doing your job."

The expedition's snitch snorted. "There are some things I won't do, you—"

He interrupted quickly. "Come, now, let's not resort to childish name-calling. And don't tell me you're going soft."

"I told you going into this deal there was to be no killing."

"And _I_ told _you_ that I couldn't guarantee that. This is a risky business. Oh, don't worry. I won't make you have to pull the trigger – in case there happens to be someone else who needs eliminating at any point in time."

Silence on the other end, except for heavy breathing that sounded beyond agitated. "_No more_."

"No more what? Are you saying you want to back out of the Organization?" He held his breath hopefully. Now_ that_ would be one execution he'd enjoy.

"No. When I commit to something, I follow through with it. But I'm warning you, if there is any more killing, I'll. . ." The warning trailed off, but both men knew it was empty.

"You're only one man against an entire organization. You haven't even seen half of what we can do, and not even a third of our numbers. Believe me when I say you'll receive far more damage than you can do."

"Is that a threat? Or a challenge?"

He smiled grudgingly. This verbal sparring match was becoming rather interesting. And here he'd expected a long, boring day. . . "Merely a warning."

"Yeah. Sure. Thanks." His cell phone went dead as the other party hung up.

Tossing it onto the bed, he went back to examining his fingernails. Yes, that was one execution he would _very_ much enjoy.

**-Luxor, Egypt: The Valley of the Kings-**

Teyla nearly dropped her binoculars when she heard John begin to swear. "John Andrew Sheppard!" she cried in surprise. "Where did you ever get that vocabulary? And when did you start swearing in the presence of _ladies_?" She motioned to herself and Elizabeth, who was further down the line. The latter showed no signs of having heard any part of the conversation.

He looked up at her sheepishly, his face red: from sunburn or embarrassment, Teyla couldn't quite tell. "Sorry." Sitting down on a rock, he rubbed his toes. "But it's – excuse me – hard to look up and watch where you're going all at once!" John tapped the rock he'd sat down on. "This thing is hard to jab your toes against, even with boots on."

Teyla sighed and shook her head.

"You sound like my mother, you know?" John announced out of the blue.

She beamed. "Thank you." Teyla had always admired the late Kathleen Sheppard.

The aforementioned woman's son rolled his eyes. "That wasn't a compliment," he muttered.

"I know." Returning her binoculars to her eyes, Teyla went back to her intent scan of the cliffs. "Do you happen to know where Dr. McKay is? I haven't seen him since we came to the Valley." She could quite easily see everyone else – Elizabeth was just ahead of Teyla, Ronon a little ahead of Weir. John was behind her, still rubbing his injured toes. McKay was the only one missing – and, at this point, having the group separated was _not_ a good thing.

John nodded. "He holed up at the entrance to Rameses the Great's tomb again. He mumbled something about not wanting his equipment to overheat while he ran 'simulations.' After that he said something about fair skin and sunburn, but I don't think that was in reference to his computers and such."

Teyla lowered her binoculars again, sighing dismally. "Nothing. I hope whatever it is Dr. McKay's working on, he finishes it soon. _Especially_ if it will be helpful in our search of the Valley."

"Well, he said he _should_ be finished by lunchtime. Whether that means he'll be finished with his _simulations_, or whatever it is he's running the simulations _on_, I don't know. I'm just the messenger."

"A rather ineffective one," Teyla teased.

John shrugged, grinning unapologetically. "I'll try to do better," he said cheerfully.

"Are your toes all right now?" she asked solicitously.

"Sure," Sheppard said.

"Good," Teyla replied. "Let's go – we're falling behind."

They all worked until five minutes past noon. Then they backtracked to Rameses's tomb, where McKay was madly working on his laptop. "You're five minutes late," he informed them.

"Nice to see you too, McKay." John dropped down in the shade. Popping open a bottle of antibacterial soap (the kind that didn't need water), he liberally spread it on his hands and arms before passing it on to Elizabeth. "Are you done yet, McKay? Didn't you promise lunchtime?"

"I said, and I quote, 'I'll be done at lunchtime, _or thereabouts._'" Looking smug, Rodney set aside his laptop just long enough to pick up a cold sandwich and take a big bite.

"Well, I think it's _thereabouts_, since we were 'late,'" Ronon grumbled.

McKay shook his head. "No," he corrected around his sandwich. "_Thereabouts_ gives me an hour's leeway. You're five minutes late."

"Ugh." Ronon poured some soap into Teyla's hands before using it himself. "Picky, picky."

Teyla settled down next to him, handing him a bottle of water and a sandwich as she did so. "How'd things go on your end of the line?" she asked.

Ronon drained a third of his bottle in two big gulps. "Not well," he admitted. "It's a shame we have to go about this so – orderly. After all, didn't the tomb builders put their burial chambers helter-skelter, wherever they felt like one belonged?"

"Not necessarily. They had their own order, though it seems random to us. It's just a shame the details of that order have been lost over time." Teyla rested her head against Ronon's shoulder as she thoughtfully munched, tiredness – physical, mental, and emotional – permeating her to the bone.

He smiled down at her. "Why don't I take you out for dinner tonight?" he asked. "That is – unless you've got another headache?"

Teyla sat up quickly. "I feel much better now," she said.

Ronon chuckled as he leaned over to kiss her cheek. "I thought so," he said, voice a little smug. "Pick you up at seven?"

Her cheeks warmed, and she smiled shyly up at him. Her heartbeat sped up, then slowed down again as something occurred to her. "Oh," she said, suddenly disappointed.

Leaning forward, Ronon stared worriedly into her face. "What's wrong? You look like someone sucked all the air out of your balloon."

"I can't. We're all supposed to stick together, remember?" She didn't_ want_ to. She wished she could further explain to him, but he was a suspect – and _maybe_ the reason _why_ they all had to stick together. She roughly pushed that thought away.

"Oh." Ronon sounded just as disappointed as she. "Well – we could get room service?"

The look on his face was so adorable Teyla couldn't resist laughing. Scooting closer, she kissed his jaw. "Sounds good to me. My room, seven?"

"Your room, seven." He hesitated. "Where will Dr. Weir be?"

"Probably next door in John and Dr. McKay's room. She said something to me about making all her notes in there, since I like to have quiet to do mine. But I can always do mine while she's in the shower – that way I'll be free when you come." And there would be a thin wall and door between her and them, so surely Elizabeth would have no objections.

Paper rustled, temporarily drawing their attention. It was only Dr. McKay, who had three big maps stretched out on the floor before him. Across the floor, closer to the entrance, John and Elizabeth seemed not to have noticed the sound.

Ronon and Teyla went back to their conversation. "I look forward to it," Ronon said.

Teyla looked up at him, a smile appearing on her face. "Me too."

At that moment, Rodney looked up from his computer and cleared his throat. "People!" he called. When everyone had his attention, he grinned smugly and said, "I've found the tomb."

_-To Be Continued-_

**sparklyshimmer2010**: Wow, thank you! It's okay, I totally understand – I've got very little time myself, so I totally get why you can't review. It makes this one even more special! I'm glad you're enjoying my story, and I hope I don't disappoint you with this chapter! Thank you so much for the review!

**The Dok-Tor**: Thank you so very much! I am very honored and humbled to know you like my story. I promise to try very hard to keep delivering chapters worthy of your compliments. Once more, thank you so, so very much, for the review and your very kind words and encouragement. I hope you enjoy this chapter!

**The City of Atlantis**: Yes! I have been clinging to that twist for so-o-o-o long, I was excited to finally let it out! It will still be a while before the traitor is revealed, but if you look _really_ closely in the chapters between now and then, there are little clues here and there. So keep your eyes peeled! -wink- I know what you mean! I love hanging out on Gateworld and talking to the folks there, but I definitely like having someone to talk to face-to-face about the show. Thank you so much for the review, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

**Bunnylass**: Thank you! I know what you mean. I hate it when the e-mail alerts go down. I don't _really_ mind doing things the long way and looking to see if my favorite stories have been updated – but it does get annoying after a while. I'm very glad you liked the mystery and suspense in the last chapter – and I hope you enjoy it in this chapter, too! -wink- There are little clues everywhere about who the traitor is – I can't wait to hear your thoughts! Thank you so very much for your review, I always enjoy reading them. I hope you enjoy this chapter!

**Alexiel974**: Yay! I know what you mean – I always hate it when the alerts go down. But they're back up now! I know how you feel. Even though I'm writing the story, and I've had the traitor thing planned from the beginning, I still want to sit down and scream myself. I'm also glad you like the friendship parts with Teyla and Elizabeth – I agree, their friendship was so underutilized in the show. Thank you so much for the review, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

**bailey1ak**: Well. . . I'll just say that it will be a while before the traitor's identity will be revealed, but there are clues scattered out among the chapters to come. I agree – the team needs each other now more than every, since there's so much danger abounding around them. Thank you so much for the review, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

**SpaceMonkey0941**: Ah-h-h-h-h!! -tacklehugs- I've missed you! Hope you're doing well. It's okay, promise. Things are much better now – it still _looks_ like a hurricane's blown through my town (kinda because it has, lol) but power's been restored, phone and Internet is back, and we're all fine. Thanks for asking! -hugs- As for the chapter. . . I know what you mean! I loved Selim's character, I hated myself for what I did to him. I promise if you look closely in the following chapters, there are clues to who the traitor is. (I'm really excited about this, can you tell? LOL) I'm so happy to hear from you again, and thank you so much for the review! I hope you enjoy this chapter! -hugs again-

**Dia**: Hey girl! -squishes you with hugs- How you doin' girl? Long time no talk! I'm glad you've liked the preceding chapters. You know, maybe better than anyone, how much _Empire_ is my baby. And yes, you are a little more informed than usual – after all, you are my sounding board! For which I'm grateful. I'm glad you liked the awkwardness between Teyla and Ronon on their first date, it was kind of fun to write, and I wanted to follow the theme of being at least halfway realistic with this story. LOL I hope you continue to enjoy this fic, and thank you so much for the reviews! I hope you enjoy this chapter – and see you this weekend on holiday! -wink- -hugs-


	14. Unearthed

Please see first chapter for disclaimer, rating, warnings, pairings, etc.

Part 14/?

**-Chapter 13-**

_Unearthed_

Rodney's outburst met complete silence. Four people leveled expectant, awed stares on him, waiting for him to clarify.

Nervous, he pointed to his computer screen. "Ah – well – maybe I haven't found _it_. I just – found – the most likely place it could be in the Valley?" His voice trailed off into a question.

Elizabeth and Teyla moved as one, going to kneel next to McKay. The men were right behind them, crowding close to see over the women's shoulders.

"How?" Elizabeth asked.

"Are you sure this is accurate?" Teyla asked, digging out her reading glasses so she could see the screen better.

"Hurry!" Ronon said.

"Come on, let's go now!" Sheppard went to stand.

"_Wait_!" McKay said loudly. "Will you people just be quiet, sit still, and let me explain? It will go much faster that way!"

Everyone settled back to the ground and looked at him expectantly again.

"Okay." Rodney let out a breath, turning back to his computer screen. "I used our research at the museum to check the approximate dates of the known tombs in the Valley. You know – when they were constructed, when the pharaohs were entombed, and then when they were sealed. Using that information, plus the date of the eruption on Santorini, in addition to – somewhat sketchy, I admit, but the most reliable we have at the moment – the approximation of when the last known survivor of Atlantis who had escaped to Egypt could have died, I came up with this." He pointed to a boxed-off area on his computer screen. "According to my research – if I'm right, and I see no reason why I _shouldn't_ be right – Atlantis's Child's tomb should be somewhere in this area."

"Oh my," Elizabeth said, sinking back on her heels. She covered her mouth with one hand, her eyes wide. "Oh my," she mumbled again.

Teyla threaded her hands into her dusty hair, knocking off her hat in the process. "This is it," she whispered. "This could be it!" Her voice rose with each word.

"Wait, wait!" McKay said, raising his hands.

"What?" Weir asked irritably. "Is there more? _Don't_ tell me there's a problem!"

"Look. We all know someone else is after Atlantis. We also know these people are ruthless. There's _also_ no doubt that they have us under surveillance. If we got out there right now and started excavating, everyone and his brother will know within a matter of hours that we just might have found the tomb we're looking for. At least – that we've found _something_ of importance."

Teyla nodded glumly. "Word _does_ travel fast," she said. "And with all the tours in the Valley during the daytime, it would give whoever's watching us the perfect place to blend in." _Unless whoever it is keeping us under surveillance is _with_ us. . ._ She put the thought aside to ponder later, when she and Elizabeth were alone.

"During the _daytime_!" Elizabeth said triumphantly.

This time, everyone looked at her, clueless.

Shifting her gaze from person to person, Weir laughed. "Don't tell me none of you see it?"

"Apparently not," Sheppard said dryly. "Care to let us in on your brilliant deduction?"

Elizabeth stuck her tongue out at him, then laughed. Teyla felt hope, seeing her in such good spirits. Maybe they really _could_ pull this off, find Atlantis before the bad guys. "You said they could keep watch over us during the _day_, when tourists swarm the Valley like locusts. But, if we come to the Valley at _night_, when no one but ghosts and jackals roam. . ." She trailed off, smug.

Everyone around her exchanged glances. "Dr. Weir, you're on to something good," Ronon said, giving her an admiring grin.

Teyla absently lifted her hand to her mouth to bite her thumbnail. "There's just one problem with that," she said.

Once more, the attention shifted. "What?" Weir asked, looking crushed.

"The Valley is closed at night. To _everyone_. No exceptions."

"Ugh." Elizabeth fell back, muffling her scream of frustration into her hands. "Can't we call Dr. Hawass and – I don't know – get a pardon, or a waiver, or special permission or _something_?"

"No exceptions," Teyla repeated. "Look, I'm just as disappointed as you, but—"

"Wait." John grabbed her arm. "Teyla, do you remember – well – our teenage days?"

She raised her eyebrows. "John, this isn't the time for reminiscing. We—"

"Think! What did we do all the time when we were kids? —Other than almost get thrown in jail for being hoodlums, or hexed because were mistaken for _afareet_? Uh – evil djinnis, or ghosts," he said to the others in explanation.

An almost-forgotten memory stirred at the back of her mind, then emerged fully formed. Throwing her head back, Teyla laughed aloud from the sheer genius of it. "That's it!" she exclaimed.

"Well?" Elizabeth and Rodney demanded as one.

"You don't grow up in Egypt without learning a few things," John explained.

"When we were kids, John and I usually found our way into places we didn't belong, all hours of the day and night – by accident, of course," Teyla assured.

"A few times, we even came to the Valley after hours. You can't see much during the tours, and we found ways to get past the security measures into the tombs occasionally. Naturally we never took anything, and we were careful to put everything back the way it belonged. Of course, that was in the old days, before they came up with the _really_ good security measures," he mused.

"We won't have to worry about padlocks and metal bars and chains and such now, not with this tomb," Teyla informed him. "The thing is, John and I know a few back doors into the Valley. They're not guarded, because tourists aren't expected to know them. The only time they're protected is after a tomb is discovered, and while it's being excavated. They don't want tomb robbers to come in the middle of the night and wipe everything out before they can study it."

"Just like the old days," John said happily.

"Yes," Teyla agreed. "Now then – if we continue to be looking today, acting like we know nothing while we're _actually_ scoping out the area in question during the daylight, to get an idea of what we're facing—"

"—We can come back tonight, and work unhindered in the dark," John finished triumphantly.

Elizabeth blinked once. Twice. Five times. "Oh my," she said. "I think you're on to something there. I really, really think this could work."

"Wait, doesn't 'breaking and entering' apply to Egypt, too? Particularly the _Valley of the Kings_? One of the most important places in the world?" From his expression, it was obvious McKay was all ready to vote no. Or go back to America. Whichever one he could say faster.

"Maybe," John admitted grudgingly.

"But we won't actually be _taking_ anything," Teyla said. "Not during the night, at least. We'll have to leave ourselves time to close the tomb up again and get out of the Valley before it's opened in the morning – that is, _if_ we find something."

"We will find something, we will, we will, we _will_ find something," Elizabeth chanted under her breath.

"Then all we have to do is show up at the mouth of the Valley first thing the morning when the gates open, 'discover' the tomb, and dig it out again," John said. "It's perfect."

"Uh, hello! It's also _illegal_!" Rodney reminded.

"This is important," Teyla said determinedly. "Dr. McKay, Plato's story calls Atlantis the most powerful place in the _world_. If this power, whatever it may be, falls into the enemy's hands—"

"_Legend_, Professor Emmagan!" Rodney said. "Besides, Atlantis existed a very long time ago. Whatever power it had then must be irrelevant, out-of-date, by now."

"Okay, then," Elizabeth interrupted. "Let's say, just for a moment, that whatever _power_ – weapons, or whatever it may have been – Atlantis held _is_ irrelevant now. What about the knowledge? The history? They were one of the most advanced races that ever lived. Teyla's right, Rodney. This is important. We have to find the tomb, and we have to find Atlantis before our enemies do. The safety of the entire world as we know it could rest on our shoulders."

McKay pinched the bridge of his nose, looking tired but resigned. "Okay, fine," he grumped. "When do we have to come back?"

**-Egypt: Valley of the Kings-**

"It's so _dark_!" Rodney complained.

"Shh!" Teyla hissed. "You want to bring the guards down on us?"

The cliffs of the Valley loomed dark and frightening above them, their ancient secrets ready and waiting to be revealed. Teyla suppressed a shiver. She'd been in the Valley at night before, but never like this. Never on an actual errand, to _do_ something other than sightsee, or answer a dare. At any moment she expected the ghost of some long-dead Pharaoh to come at her, demanding to know why she was desecrating his resting place, interrupting his afterlife party.

Or one of the Egyptians' feared afareets to come screaming at her, ready to send her off on her merry way to join the kings of Egypt.

"Stop being so morbid," Ronon whispered.

She jumped. "How do you know what I'm thinking?" she whispered back.

Ronon grinned, his eyes and teeth flashing in the moonlight. "It's written all over your face." His arm briefly closed around her shoulder, squeezing her to his side. "It's all right. I'll protect you."

Teyla pushed him away, but she couldn't hold back her smile. "I don't need protecting."

Ahead of them, Rodney stopped. "Here," he said, eyes focused on the printout he'd gotten from his laptop. "It's here, I'm sure of it."

Elizabeth pursed her lips. "I hate to do this," she said with a sigh.

"Oy!" Rodney smacked his forehead. "You mean we did all this for _nothing_?"

"No," Teyla said. "This is going to have to be a rush job. We can't sift our fill while we're digging. We're going to have to wait until tomorrow, and risk losing things in the process."

Weir nodded mournfully. "We have no choice, though."

"As long as I'm not elected to sift the fill, I don't mind," John said. "Like 'Lizabeth said earlier, we're running on a timetable here."

"But even the slightest, smallest thing could be important," Teyla argued.

"No. We have to do it this way. We can sift the fill tomorrow." Elizabeth hefted her shovel, the metal end of it glinting in the moonlight. How easily someone could be killed with that, Teyla mused. She shivered again. The night was cool, but that had nothing to do with her chill. "Let's get busy."

They worked in shifts: Elizabeth and John at first, then Ronon and Teyla. The couple who weren't working used the time to snatch what sleep they could. They posted Rodney as a lookout, just in case. The guards usually didn't patrol the Valley at night, but Zahi _had_ said something about raising security measures. There was no point in being careless and getting caught, not when they were this close.

On one of her breaks, Teyla willingly leaned her head against Ronon's proffered shoulder and yawned. "How're you holding up?" she asked.

His tired puff of laughter blew across the top of her head. "Do we have to talk about it?" he asked.

"No," Teyla replied sleepily. There had been a few advancements in excavation since the old days, but doing it this way – the quietest, by far – was hard work, and it took longer. But it was worth it, if they could find the tomb first and keep Atlantis's secret safe. Sneaking out of the hotel and back to the Valley just after sunset was worth it. As far as the enemy knew, they were all tucked safely away in their beds for the night, restoring their energy levels for the next day's work of "searching."

But what she wouldn't give for the help of some of her friends, like the old days. The Egyptians were always eager for work, and helping dig for tombs in the Valley was one of the best-paying jobs for the _fellahin_, the peasants of Egypt, who often couldn't get work anywhere else.

Ronon's arm, around her shoulders, went slack. His breathing evened out, a soft lullaby in her ear. Drowsily, Teyla closed her own eyes. During her and Ronon's shift digging, she'd had plenty of time to consider Selim's note. She knew she should keep it in mind, just in case. But the more she thought about it, the more likely it seemed that he'd been killed as a warning to her and her friends – her in particular, since she was the Egyptian expert, thus the most useful at the moment. That the note he'd sent was actually a forgery, or something they'd made him do before they killed him. As long as everyone in the expedition was looking over their shoulders, suspecting the others of deception, they wouldn't get much work done. They'd be too busy waiting for an attack that would probably never come.

It was a fake, it was as simple as that. Everyone trusted everyone else implicitly – that's why they were a team, after all – and they'd get their work done quickly and efficiently. They'd find Atlantis first.

With that resolved, Teyla tucked herself a little closer to Ronon's warmth and fell asleep.

**-Egypt: The Valley of the Kings-**

The ground shook. _Earthquake!_ What she was leaning against shook, and Teyla changed her mind even as she woke. _Ronon's having a seizure! Or – or they're attacking!_

Her eyes snapped open, and she met Ronon's green ones steadily. He looked excited. "This could be it," he said, breathless. "Sheppard just woke me up. They found something, Teyla! And they think it might be _the tomb_!"

Teyla immediately stuck out her hand, and Ronon pulled her to her feet. Still grasping her hand casually, they ran the few feet to John and Elizabeth, who stood at the foot of a shallow set of steps, up against a door. They were brushing the remnants of sand off a beautifully decorated, sealed doorway.

She looked at her watch: 5:32 a.m. Less than an hour before the sun rose, and they would _have_ to abandon the Valley. They'd have to work quickly to fill it all back in and make it look halfway like it hadn't been dug up.

"You found something?" Teyla asked. She was still half-asleep, prone to stating the obvious. She let go of Ronon's hand to join the other two in the stairwell.

Elizabeth's hand once more brushed across the surface of the door. "There is some Atlantian writing here!" she said, voice choked.

Ronon flashed his light down, and that's when they all saw it.

The feather of Maat, carved and painted on the doorway.

They'd found the tomb of Atlantis's Child!

_-To Be Continued-_

**bailey1ak**: Thank you! I know, it was very hard for me to write that, especially knowing it is. There are little clues, here and there throughout, as to who it is. I'm glad you liked Ronon and Teyla's bantering, they're such fun to write. I really hope you enjoy this chapter, and thank you so much for the review!

**The City of Atlantis**: Hi! Oh, thank you so much! You're very nice. It makes me feel even guiltier for taking so long to update this! I hate writer's block. . . I wish you good luck on your stories – I look forward to (hopefully!) reading them in the future! I thank you very, very much for the long review, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

**Bunnylass**: Thank you! I really am sorry about the evil cliffhanger last chapter – I hope this makes up for it! I look forward to hearing who you think it is, later! There are more clues, scattered through the story. . . Yes, I think I got it! I must admit, I have been working on the telephone scene for _months_. I was so afraid I was going to give away something _huge_, before I was ready to! I'm glad you liked the Ronon/Teyla moments, and the developing relationship between John and Elizabeth! Thank you so much for the long review, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

**Dia**: Thank you! You, perhaps more than anyone else, knows how long I've been working on this – and where it's going (at least partly)! LOL Yes, I do know what you mean, and I don't think it's weird at all. _Empire_ has had a slow beginning, slowly building into something much bigger. Things will be building a little bit faster in the next few chapters. Thank you so much for the reviews – I'll see you in less than a week! LOL – and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

**Alexiel974**: Thank you! I know! I've been working on the first part of the last chapter for _months_, trying to get everything perfect, and to give away some – but not a _lot_. I look forward to hearing who your suspects are, later! I'm glad you enjoyed the moments between Ronon and Teyla, and then John and Elizabeth. It's a lot of fun to write! I hope you enjoy this chapter, and thank you so much for the review!

**sparklyshimmer2010**: Hi, sparkly! -hugs- I'm sorry if I freaked you out too much with the bad guy. I'm glad you liked the last chapter, and the story so far! Okay – I look forward to hearing who you think it is, later! Really? Wow, thank you! I'm very honored. I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint, and thank you so very much for the review!


	15. Anticipations and Anxieties

Please see first chapter for disclaimer, rating, warnings, pairings, etc.

Part 15/?

**-Chapter 14-**

_Anticipations and Anxieties_

It took every last shred of will each of them possessed to rebury the tomb very carefully, so they could "discover" it in the legal hours of the day. The sun was beginning to peer over the horizon as they finished their job and rushed out of the Valley by the way they'd come, desperate to get away before anyone saw them. The only people stirring at that hour of the morning were those in the _suk_ setting up their carts for another day of haggling, selling, and gossiping. The vendors ignored the expedition quickly making their way back to their hotel, careful not to be noticed.

After showers for all of them, they regrouped in Teyla and Elizabeth's room. None of them had gotten much sleep, but they were all too excited to try to rest in the last hour before the Valley opened.

"How long are we going to spend in the Valley before we 'find' the tomb?" Rodney asked. He dug into the viands on the cart room service had brought per Elizabeth's request.

"Not too long," Teyla replied. She wiped cream cheese off her chin, wondering if English muffins had ever tasted so good to her before. She was famished. "We need to work quickly – just in case." No matter how much she wanted to put the matter out of her head, she still couldn't help thinking about the note that might or might not have been from Selim.

Elizabeth calmly sipped at her steaming coffee. "We worked at night so we wouldn't be discovered," she said. "But we can't be sure someone didn't see us. We have to get back there and unearth the tomb as quickly as possible. When we 'discover' it, we can call Dr. Hawass and enlist his help to keep the tomb safe."

John, sitting sleepy-eyed in the corner, waved his half-eaten muffin in the air to get attention. "It'll take us a while to excavate," he said. "That is, _if_ there's something in there, and _if_ the tomb hasn't been robbed in the past. Though the seal looked intact, it was hard to tell. It was pretty dark."

Weir leveled a hard stare on him. "There will be something inside," she said firmly.

"I doubt the clue we're looking for will be in plain sight, either," Teyla said. "There was always the chance that a tomb would be robbed. So the clue would need to be hidden in a place not easily discovered."

"But it's _got_ to be in the tomb somewhere," Ronon said. "Otherwise, why would the first clue send us there?"

"Hopefully the tomb will be untouched, and everything we need will be there." Teyla felt archeological fever grip her; she quickly swallowed the last of her breakfast. It was exciting enough that it was a new tomb in and of itself. The fact there _could_ be more knowledge to further her explorations of Egypt had her so excited she felt like she was going to burst. And the things they could possibly find to link Egypt with Atlantis – that was mind-blowing all on its own!

She couldn't wait to get back to the Valley and get to work. She looked at her watch: half an hour to go. At the moment, half an hour felt like half a century.

"We need to be heading out to the Valley soon," John said after a quick glance at his watch. "We need to be the first ones there to get inside quickly – just in case."

"We'll have to deal with the tourists, though," Rodney fretted. "That's a bad thing."

"They're a distraction we have to deal with," Elizabeth said. "If confronted, be polite – but don't give anything away, and make sure to make it clear that they need to leave us alone to work. And keep your eyes open for anyone particularly – suspicious."

"What's considered 'suspicious'?" Rodney asked. "Someone slinking around with a camera, in a trench coat, hat, and glasses?"

"They won't be that obvious," Ronon predicted.

"No, they won't," John agreed. "The whole point of being a bad guy – well, a good one, anyway, if that makes sense – is to be able to blend in no matter where you are, and observe everything, no matter what."

Teyla and Elizabeth swapped a look. Once more, the contents of Selim's note poked at the back of her mind. She pushed it away again.

Elizabeth popped her hat on her head and headed for the door. "Come on," she said. "Let's go the Valley now."

**-Luxor, Egypt: The Valley of the Kings-**

A few dozen yards away from the most famous tomb in the Valley, the Atlantis expedition began to dig up their new tomb again. This was one of the older tombs, a rare find indeed for the Egyptological field. It would be made even more unique by the Atlantian artifacts they hoped to find inside. . .

In the end, Teyla was the one who got to run back to the hotel, call Dr. Hawass, and report their discovery. After many excited exclamations, he promised to get a team together and come to Luxor immediately. He told Teyla to take many pictures, and he would see them soon.

The others were still hovering excitedly around the unearthed tomb entrance when Teyla and Ronon, who had insisted on escorting her to the hotel and back, arrived. Elizabeth, John, and Rodney looked up at her expectantly, eager expressions on their faces. "Well?" Weir demanded.

"He was going to leave the moment we got off the phone," Teyla said. "He's bringing a team with him to help us excavate, and to guard the tomb around the clock. He'll arrive sometime late tonight, or early tomorrow morning. Until then, he'll have an armed guard from here in Luxor posted by the tomb."

Everyone looked disappointed. "You mean we can't open this thing until _tomorrow_?" Rodney demanded.

Teyla shrugged slightly. "I'm just as excited as you are, Dr. McKay. Perhaps more, because this is the first time I've been allowed to excavate here. But this is the way things are, no matter what's behind that sealed door. Zahi must come look things over before we're allowed to break the seal and open the door." She cocked her head to the side and smiled. "We are, however, allowed to take a lot of pictures."

"That's something, I guess," Elizabeth said glumly.

Quickly hugging her friend, Teyla offered her another upbeat smile. "That tomb has been sealed for a very, very long time," she said. "What's another twenty-four hours, huh?"

Weir smiled reluctantly. "Good point," she sighed. "Okay – Teyla, Ronon, start taking pictures! I want to get several angles of this thing. John, Rodney, if you could please get back to sifting the fill? Teyla and I will spell you in half an hour."

For a while, the only sounds were the click of cameras, the swish of sand through strainers, and the distant voices of the Valley tour guides. Every now and then, Teyla's thoughts drifted to Dr. Hawass, who was even then on his way to Luxor. When they opened the tomb, what would they find? The vast emptiness of a tomb robbed in antiquity? Or the riches and knowledge of a king, with heritage from Atlantis but the ruler of Egypt? She sincerely hoped for the latter. The thought of such a thing set a yearning in her heart that she hadn't felt in far too long.

The fill was empty. They all took turns sifting through the sand they'd churned up from unburying the tomb, but no clues were held within. They'd have to wait until the next day and Dr. Hawass's arrival to find anything of interest.

After the Valley closed and the Luxor guard arrived to protect the tomb, the expedition retired to their hotel. Following another round of showers, they congregated in the hotel dining room for their evening meal. No one enjoyed themselves much. Elizabeth stayed in her own little world, undoubtedly worrying about the tomb's safety. John, poor man, kept trying to draw her into conversation, with little luck. Teyla sympathized with both of them considerably. Rodney ate quietly, his gaze nervously darting around the table, around the room, then back. Next to her, Ronon sat in stiff silence, focused entirely on his food. A sullen expression glittered in his eyes, causing Teyla to wonder if she'd done something to offend him.

"I'm sorry none of us are good company this evening," she apologized softly as they headed up to their rooms as a group, always staying in sight of each other. But Ronon and Teyla, then John and Elizabeth, fell slightly behind Rodney.

Ronon's eyes lost their surly gleam. His expression softened. "I'm sorry – I wasn't good company, either." He shrugged slightly. "I guess I've just got a lot on my mind. I've been a part of a lot of archeological expeditions, but – none quite like this one. It keeps my mind busy – it's really hard to keep up with all of you."

Teyla tucked her hand in the crook of his arm and smiled up at him. "Usually it's not this bad," she assured him. "Most of the seasons I've spent here in Egypt have been wholly uneventful. But this season, this expedition, is very different. To be truthful, it has me a little off-balance, too."

John and Elizabeth followed Rodney into the room the two men shared, their discussion getting louder as they debated excavation techniques and what the plan of action would be tomorrow. Usually Teyla would be in the thick of the discussion, throwing out pros and cons like the expert she was, but for once archeology didn't interest her. She and Ronon continued on to the door to her and Elizabeth's room. Unlocking it, she pushed it open and led him inside.

Ronon dropped into a chair. Teyla kicked off her shoes and sat down on her bed. Once the door clicked securely shut, they both relaxed. "You know, it's not like this is anything _extraordinarily_ new," she continued. "Excavation has been going on for a long time. This is another tomb in the Valley of the Kings. To an outside observer, it's no more or less interesting or important than the rest. But since _we're_ privy to the details of the excavation, to the information about what _might_ be in that tomb – it's different for us. More – exciting. More dangerous. More _interesting._"

An amused smile curled Ronon's lips. "You fascinate me," he said frankly.

Teyla looked down, feeling a blush suffuse her cheeks, not quite sure what to say to that.

Leaning forward, Ronon tipped her chin up with one finger. "Look. I'm sorry I was so – distant earlier. Bad company and all that. And – I'm sorry if I embarrassed you. I didn't mean to." Another smile quirked at the corner of his mouth. "But it's true, you know."

Teyla took his hand in both of hers before he could withdraw it. "Thank you. You know, the same goes for me. I've never known anyone like you. I never know what to think, what to say."

Ronon's smile transformed into a lazy grin. "That's good," he said. "Keeps things interesting."

A laugh snorted out of her. "I suppose it does."

Without warning, Ronon leaned forward and kissed her. When he withdrew, he grinned. "Very interesting," he said. With another quick peck on her lips, he escaped out the door, leaving her sitting frozen on her bed, fingers over her smiling lips.

Ronon Dex was a strange man. But. . . Teyla grinned at the closed door, her heart racing, body warm all over. _Very interesting, indeed!_

**-Luxor, Egypt: Valley of the Kings-**

The section of the Valley where the newest tomb was located closed for the day. Dr. Hawass firmly told the waiting tourists that some minor renovations needed to be done to the tombs in that area, and to return in a week.

Then he joined the Atlantis expedition at the tomb. Since the moment he'd met them at the gates to the Valley at six o'clock that morning, the tension had mounted, building to the monumental moment when they would gently break the seal and look inside.

Everyone crowded close as Zahi, Teyla, and Elizabeth jointly broke the seal. A breathless hush of anticipation rippled through the small crowd, growing as the three archeologists shone their flashlights inside.

At first, Teyla could see nothing. The darkness was so complete, the flashlights barely penetrated it. But then, as her eyes adjusted, she made out the long hall, the walls lining it covered with magnificent tomb paintings.

Elizabeth and Teyla let out cries of excitement. They hugged each other, Ronon, John, Rodney – even Dr. Hawass, who smiled so hugely his eyes nearly vanished. With carefully practiced gentle precision, Zahi and his team removed the sealed door so they could enter the hallway.

"These tomb paintings are magnificent!" Elizabeth cried.

"Egyptian – and these must be Atlantian!" Teyla said. She motioned to the wall in front of her, careful not to let her fingertips brush the painted areas. The air and heat was already damaging them, she didn't need to add to it.

"They are!" Elizabeth clasped her hands together, not noticing when she nearly hit her nose with her flashlight. "Teyla – everyone – this has to be it! The tomb of Atlantis's Child!"

Zahi had preceded them down the hall. He and his assistant were already at work on the second door, which – if the tomb followed the normal pattern of others found in the Valley – would then lead to the burial chamber.

Rodney took Teyla's hand in one of his, then Elizabeth's in the other. Bodily, he dragged them down the hall to the second door. "If you two don't look inside first," he said, "I won't get a chance! And I want a chance."

"Come! Come, look, see!" Zahi waved them over, motioning to the small hole he'd made in the second sealed wall. "_Look_!"

Elizabeth and Teyla stood, heads practically touching, as they pointed their flashlights at the hole. This time, with eyes already adjusted to the dark, they saw immediately what had Dr. Hawass so excited.

"Oh my," Teyla breathed. The eternal words of Dr. Howard Carter had been one of the first things she'd heard as a budding Egyptologist, but never in all her years had she expected to get to quote them in the field.

"'Everywhere,'" she half-whispered, half-cried. "'Everywhere, the glint of _gold_!'"

_-To Be Continued-_

**Bunnylass**: Wow, thank you! I've been really excited about the last couple of chapters for a while – even more when I finally got out of my writer's block! LOL I hope you like the last line of this chapter, too. . . I know! I had another big, long, complicated way for them to find Atlantis's Child's tomb, but then I figured it would be much cooler for Rodney to find it in his own way – since he isn't _technically_ an archeologist, but smart enough to make up for it – at least, he thinks he is! Thank you so very much for the review, I love reading each and every one you submit. I hope you enjoy this chapter!

**Alexiel974**: I know! All through writing the last chapter (and this one, for that matter!), I had this knot of anticipation in my gut – knowing they were going to find the tomb! I'm sorry! Now I feel bad for adding in the traitor. I promise I'll make up for it, though! Thank you so much for the review, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

**sparklyshimmer2010**: -tacklehugs sparkly- LOL Oh, good, thank you! I'm not _really_ good at creepy, and for a minute – I thought I might have gone too far! I didn't want to give anyone nightmares, or anything like that. Okay – that sounds fair! So, in that case – I look forward to _maybe_ hearing who you suspect! Wow, thank you! I'm very honored! I love Rodney too! I had a big long plan for them to find the tomb a different way – but I decided it would be better if Rodney found it! And we'll see if Teyla lets her guard down too much. . . Thank you so much for the review, and I hope you continue to enjoy the story!

**The City of Atlantis**: Yes, they did! I was so excited writing the last two chapters, with them finding the tomb – and then the events of this chapter! Oh, thank you! -hugs- You're very sweet. It makes me feel good that you count the days between chapters for _Empire_! Thank you very much! LOL I think my parents will agree with you – they think I'm evil, too! Thank you so much for the review, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

**bailey1ak**: Thank you! Yes, exactly. Though neither Teyla nor Elizabeth wants to believe it is one of theirs that is betraying them, they will both keep Selim's note (that may or may not be from him) in the back of their minds – just in case. Thank you so much for the review, and I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint!


	16. Professional Obsessions

Please see first chapter for disclaimer, rating, warnings, pairings, etc.

Part 16/?

**-Chapter 15-**

_Professional Obsessions_

Teyla crouched next to Rodney as the scientist worked diligently on his laptop. With the assistance of his technology, they did a general scan of the tomb. When excavation began, they would map on his computer every item they moved for study later, cutting their excavation time in half.

Everyone helped. With masks over their noses and mouths, gloves on their hands, and hope in their hearts, they carefully began cataloging and removing items.

The mix of Atlantian and Egyptian objects was staggering, a blend of two cultures, two peoples, united through one man. Since artifacts covered the floor space wall-to-wall, John and Ronon helped construct a series of "bridges" over the objects. While the men worked on that, the women stayed in the entrance hall, carefully documenting the tomb paintings.

A startled, excited yell from Zahi brought the two women running to the edge of the doorway. He stood atop the one completed bridge, pointing his flashlight into the dark back corner of the tomb. "It's the sarcophagus!" he cried. "We found the sarcophagus!"

His announcement capped off the perfect day. They'd discovered a tomb untouched since ancient times: the seal unbroken, the funerary furnishings intact, indisputably proving a link between ancient Egypt and Atlantis. And at the very last, they'd found a sarcophagus – one that hopefully held the royalty of two cultures.

Teyla and Elizabeth mounted the bridge, trading places with Zahi. Careful to keep their balance, they examined what part of the sarcophagus they could see.

"There are a number of normal Egyptian references here." Teyla flicked the beam of her torch from end to carven end of the massive stone box, breathless with excitement. "Weighing the heart against the feather of Ma'at – the man inside passed, for his heart was not devoured by Sobek, the crocodile god. He passed safely across the river with Anubis, to be met by Osiris in the underworld. . ." She trailed off. "But there are many things here I can't translate. It's not Egyptian."

"Atlantian," Elizabeth breathed over her shoulder. "It speaks of him surviving a great tragedy – the eruption on Santorini, if I had to guess. He traveled many moons, through many hardships – to the land of the sand, where. . ." Her brow furrowed, and she swore. "It's cut off here. It continues around the corner." She shifted a little, trying to peer around the corner of the outer, box-shaped sarcophagus to read more.

"Be careful!" John and Teyla shouted as one, the latter gripping the back of Weir's shirt. "You'll fall." Neither worried about the artifacts below – a fall into the jumble of metal, stone, and pottery could injure Elizabeth badly, even kill her if she landed on spear or other weapon.

Frustrated, Elizabeth leaned back again. "Maybe I should wait," she admitted, looking down. "That would be a nasty fall. But – I want to see what it says." Her cheeks, already flushed from the hot closeness of the tomb, turned redder. "Sorry. I lost my mind for a moment there."

"Archeological fever," Teyla said, nodding and releasing Elizabeth.

The two women carefully picked their way back to the entrance into the tomb proper. Ronon grabbed Teyla by the waist, lifting her down with apparent ease; but she saw him turn his head to hide his cringe as he set her on her feet. "You shouldn't have done that," she said softly. "Your shoulder."

"I'm fine." He rolled his shoulder twice to prove it, but the pain lines between his brows didn't smooth out completely. "So, what next, Oh Fearless Egyptian Leader?"

Teyla made him sit down. "You rest for a minute, you foolish merman." She stuck close to him, though, to make sure he did, as she resumed snapping pictures of the walls of the tomb. "This is a special camera," she told him. "Most cameras damage the tomb walls. This one was made to be used without fear of further harming the paintings. The air from outside is already beginning to wear on them, so we need pictures before damage occurs. We can do the major translating later."

Ronon surprised her by picking up a pad and pencil, and beginning to sketch some of the paintings. "I didn't know you could draw," Teyla said, pleased.

His quick fingers nimbly brought the tomb paintings to life on the paper, the attention to detail stunning her. "I'm not that good," he said humbly. "I want to do _something_ to help. And I know this is how it was done in the old days. It just feels – _right_ to do it this way."

Elizabeth shouted something from inside the tomb. She was up on the bridge again. Teyla shook her head with a smile. She wanted to be inside too; working on cataloguing the items, making additional incredible discoveries. But the tomb paintings were important, too. "So, what do you think? Your first Egyptian tomb."

Ronon's lips twitched up, and he abandoned his drawing for a moment. "You know, I've been a part of quite a few archeological expeditions. The excitement, the discovery – it's all so amazing. So fascinating. The objects, the knowledge. . ." He hesitated, then went back to his sketch as he spoke again. "But, I think this is the most interesting, fun, exciting expedition I've ever joined. Thanks for including me." There was a note in his voice, a wistfulness, that caught her. She felt like he was trying to say something else, but she didn't know what it could be.

Despite the dust and sweat on both of them, she leaned over to kiss his cheek. "Thanks for being willing to join us here," she said. "After all, you're a diver. This is probably so boring for you."

Ronon looked up, a certain sparkle in his eyes. "There are benefits," he said cryptically.

Teyla laughed softly and went back to her picture-taking. She, too, found this the most interesting expedition she'd ever been a part of.

**-Luxor, Egypt-**

"What report do you have for me?"

He found the silence on the other end of the line telling. He could read so many things in that silence, and it made his fingers unconsciously twitch toward his knife again. Oh, how he wished the Organization would let him go ahead with what he wanted. . . "Don't make me have to repeat myself."

"What a horror that would be," came the sarcastic response. "They found the tomb. The seal was unbroken. There are many paintings and objects inside." The words were clipped and cold, each like an icicle.

Amusement twitched his lips. "Have they found any clues yet?"

"No." The response seemed too quick, but that might have been him. He was desperate to find fault, to find a reason for termination.

Abandoning his chair, he paced the room. "The Organization is growing impatient."

"This is an archeological expedition," the expedition's snitch snapped. "Things don't happen overnight. They have to catalog every item, and where they found it. You're going to have to be patient."

This time, he gripped his knife handle, desperate to use it. In fact, he could go over there right now. . . No. Not yet. He had to keep control of himself a little longer. "_Patience_ is not the Organization's strong suit."

"It's not yours, either." _Zing._

He ground his teeth, knuckles white around his knife's grip. "Perhaps I need to shorten your leash."

"You don't scare me."

A plan formed in his mind. Yes, that just might work. . . "You think I'm full of empty threats?"

"I know what game you're playing. You think you're the only one with the rulebook?"

So the little snitch thought he had an ace in the hole. Oh, how surprised he'd be. . . He yearned to be there, to see the look on the slime's face when he saw. "This isn't a game. And I'm not playing." He hung up. _This is going to be so much fun._

But first, he had a stop to make.

**-Luxor, Egypt: Teyla & Elizabeth's room-**

"Ow!" Ronon complained, hunching away from his tormentor.

Teyla adjusted her position and continued to work at the knot in Ronon's shoulder. "You were the one who overdid it today."

"Yeah, and it seems you're determined to punish me for it," he said sullenly.

The bathroom door opened, and Elizabeth appeared, wrapped in a faded red terrycloth robe. Her wet hair curled around her ears, making her look fresh and clean. "Your turn," she said to Teyla. "Thanks for letting me use the shower first."

"No problem." Teyla pressed a quick kiss to Ronon's cheek, before sliding off the bed to take her turn in the bathroom. As she closed the door behind her, she caught a glimpse of him standing up and wandering after Elizabeth into John and Rodney's room.

Once in the bathroom, she quickly stripped off her grimy, sweat-stained clothes and climbed into the shower. The hot water washed away the dirt as well as her stress and excitement. It felt good to relax beneath the spray, allowing it to wash luxuriously over her head, shoulders, and back, easing aching muscles. It'd been too long since she'd helped excavate: she was a little out of shape.

Finally, knowing herself to be as clean and relaxed as she was going to get, Teyla stepped out of the shower. Wrapping her hair in a towel and her body in a bathrobe, she fanned steam away from her face. Maybe she'd had the water turned on a little _too_ hot.

Closing her eyes and combing out her hair, she allowed images of the tomb to fill her mind once more. She flipped her hair over her head, turning on the blow drier at the same time. As she worked the worst of the dampness out of her hair, the images continued to flash through her mind like a slideshow. So much knowledge, so many artifacts! A once-in-a-lifetime find, equal to if not surpassing the discovery of Tutankhamun's treasure trove. The secret would be hard to keep – they'd have to be careful to make sure news of it didn't reach the outside world until they were ready. Not only did the tomb have a wealth of Egyptian knowledge and riches, but it held Atlantian as well. The discovery would go down as one of the most unique the history of the world would record.

Teyla tossed her hair back over her head and shook it out, at the same time turning off her drier. Good enough. Setting the drier aside, she turned to the mirror to comb her hair into tame order, opening her eyes as she did. For a moment she stared at the reflective surface in shock, her eyes wide, mouth agape. A scream battered her ears; distantly, she realized it was hers.

A great pounding on the bathroom door caught her attention just as she stumbled back against the wall. With another soft cry, she jerked it open, just then realizing she'd forgotten to lock it. Ronon grabbed her as she tumbled out, John, Elizabeth, and Rodney crowding right behind him.

"What happened?" Sheppard demanded, his face white.

Rodney, positioned just right to see past the others into the bathroom, turned green. He clapped a hand over his mouth and ran back for his and John's room. Elizabeth stepped up into his place, blanching as she got her first clear view of the mirror. John followed, swearing when he saw what had scared Teyla so deeply.

Ronon's face drained of color, and his arms tightened around her shoulders. Without realizing it, Teyla put her arms around his waist, clinging to him as to her only hope of sanity. "Whoever it was – was in there," she said shakily. "When I went into the shower, the mirror was clean. When I came out. . ." The thought of someone coming into the bathroom while she'd been in the shower, just a few feet away, made her knees go weak. The bedroom door had been locked, the others were right next door – she'd thought herself _safe_.

She looked back. The sickening grin of the skull drawn on the mirror leered at them. Beneath, scrawled in the same lurid red, the words: _The gods aren't the only angry ones. Death is coming._

None of them were safe anywhere.

_-To Be Continued-_

**bailey1ak**: Thank you! I'm glad you liked the Ronon/Teyla moments, and that the "glint of gold" was contagious! I, too, was quite excited when I wrote that part, knowing what was inside! I hope you enjoy this chapter, and thank you so much for the review!

**Bunnylass**: Oh, thank you! I'm sorry it's taken me so long to update this – it makes me feel badly, especially considering the cliffie in the last chapter! I'm so glad you got caught up in the excitement of this chapter, with them finding it, and then finally getting to open the tomb and see what was inside! There's a lot more about the tomb in this chapter – along with some other interesting things. Thank you so much for the review – sorry again it took me so long to update! – and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

**Alexiel974**: Wow, thank you! I honestly hope the suspense didn't kill you – it makes me feel even worse for taking so long to update this! I'm really glad you liked the little moment between Ronon and Teyla – they're definitely good at having little moments in the least likely times! I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint, and thank you so much for the review!

**The City of Atlantis**: No, that's okay! I don't think you're pathetic at all. I do that, too, on some stories. . . I'm sorry you had to count so many days again between chapters! I'm glad it made you excited when they broke the seal – in this chapter, you get to find out a few of the things inside! I'm sorry the cliffhangers are so annoying, but I'm glad they're exciting at the same time! Thank you so much for the review, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

**SpaceMonkey0941**: Yay! -hugs- I'm glad you're back – I've missed you! -hugs again- I'm glad you enjoyed the parts where they were sneaking around to find the tomb – and when they got to open it! In this chapter, a few things are mentioned that are in there – but there are so many more, I promise! To be truthful, I'm thinking of myself as a third-person observer, too – having fun discovering things right along with the team! They have so much more fun than I do. LOL Thank you so much for the review, and I hope you enjoy this chapter! -hugs-

**sparklyshimmer2010**: Thank you! I'm glad you like their conviction – they're going to find Atlantis, no matter what it takes! They get to open the tomb and go inside in this chapter – lots of things to see and do! I'm sorry it took me so long to update, but I hope the wait was worth it! Thank you so much for the review, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

**The Dok-tor**: Thank you so much! I'm sorry I had to make you wait so long for this chapter! I feel very badly about that. But I hope the revelation of some of the items in the tomb make up for it! Thank you so much for the review, and I hope you continue to enjoy my fic!

: Yes, they found it! They had to put it back the way it was for a while, but they found it! LOL I'm glad you especially enjoyed the last chapter, I know it was a blast to right! As well as this one! A few things in the tomb are revealed in this chapter – and more in the following chapters! Thank you so much for the reviews, and I hope you enjoy this chapter! -hugs-


	17. Retrenching

Please see first chapter for disclaimer, rating, warnings, pairings, etc.

Part 17/?

**-Chapter 16-**

_Retrenching_

While John called the Luxor police department, the others gathered around Teyla. Escorting her to the other room to get her away from the message, Ronon and Elizabeth each kept an arm around her, trying to sooth away the edge of the fear still lingering in her eyes. Rodney hovered close, looking anxious and awkward. Shaking so hard her teeth chattered, she shot nervous glances around the room, half-expecting a killer to come charging through the door to slaughter them all. Once he got off the phone, John came to stand in front of the little group, his hands thrust deep into his pockets, his thin face tight with concern.

By the time the police arrived, Teyla had regained most of her control. She quietly squeezed Ronon's hand in private gratitude, offered the others a soft "thank you," then followed the police back to the room she shared with Elizabeth. Ronon protectively shadowed her every step.

The message on the mirror was just as bad the second time. One of the three officers dusted for prints, another studied every inch of the bathroom, and the last questioned Teyla and the others.

"No prints," the first officer declared. "Whoever did this is one of two things: really good at what he does, or one of the people here." His dark eyes scanned the occupants of the room.

"I was in the shower," Teyla said steadily.

"The rest of us were in here the entire time," Elizabeth declared, "until we heard Teyla scream." The others murmured in agreement, nodding.

The third officer, Kareem, made note of this. "I'll need copies of your handwriting," he said. "All of you." Everyone complied without complaint, eager to get the proceedings over.

After the police left, the hotel offered to move them to different rooms. Reminiscing with forced lightness about the last time, they moved their belongings to rooms two floors up. While Elizabeth and Teyla unpacked their belongings (again), they discussed business to keep their minds off what had happened.

"Now that we've found the tomb, we need to get the excavation over as quickly as possible," Elizabeth said.

Teyla nodded in agreement as she folded another shirt to put on her half of the closet shelf. "I'm so glad we've had so many advancements in excavation techniques – and technology. I know we have to do this fast, to keep the _others_ from finding the next clue first – or even the location of Atlantis itself. But I'm also glad we're not having to cut corners to get the work done fast."

Elizabeth's lips twitched. "What was the name of that one Egyptologist? The circus performer, who found so many tombs by blasting them open with dynamite?"

Cringing, Teyla slipped the one halfway dressy shirt she'd brought with her onto a hanger. "Belzoni."

"Right! I'm certainly glad we didn't have to resort to that sort of archeology." Elizabeth dug through her suitcase, scattering belongings all over her bed. "I would have tried just about anything else."

Teyla tucked her hair behind her ear. "On the one hand, I am very glad he found all those tombs. In a way, he made Egyptology what it is today. However, on the other hand, it makes me cringe to think of all that was destroyed, all the knowledge that was lost, when Belzoni charged into those tombs." She sighed.

John popped his head through the open door between rooms. "Sorry to interrupt, ladies. Rodney wants to know if you want to take a look at the computer maps he made of the tomb today."

Elizabeth slid a glance in Teyla's direction. The latter could see the yearning in Weir's eyes, and smiled bravely. "You go on," she said. "I want to finish unpacking. Maybe even go on to bed. It's been a long day." _Long day_ didn't even begin to describe it, but she wouldn't admit it. Besides, her ardor for excavation had cooled considerably by the note on the mirror.

Weir sent a longing glance toward the doorway, but stood in place. "If you need me, I'll stay," she said determinedly.

Teyla gave her friend a quick hug. "I will be fine," she said. "Besides, one of us needs to go over those maps. It will save us a lot of time, in the long run."

When she was finally alone in the room, Teyla pulled the door partly shut and looked around. Most of her things were unpacked; the rest of them, she decided, could stay where they were for the time being. After setting her suitcase on top of a low bench at the foot of the bed, Teyla sat down on the soft mattress. She spread her excavation notes and the rolls of film she'd had rush-developed by a friend (who charged exorbitantly, but took the words "hour or less" quite seriously) across the bedspread. With relaxing music playing softly through her headphones, she began to go over the day's work to get her mind off – other things.

Only a few minutes later, sudden movement at the edge of her vision made her jump and turn in that direction, dropping the photo and magnifying glass she'd been holding. Apologetically, John held up his hands and pointed to the door. Teyla pulled her headphones off, catching the end of a knocking sound. "Oh."

The knock on her door repeated itself, loud and anxious. "Should I tell him to go away?" John asked, peering through the peephole in the door.

"'Him' who?" Teyla asked.

John glanced at her over his shoulder. "Ronon."

Teyla looked down at her rumpled pajamas, and the mess spread over her bed. With a sigh, she gave in. "Let him in." Shrugging, Sheppard opened the door. Leaving it open behind him, he went back next door.

Ronon entered, then checked the lock behind him when he closed the door. "I wanted to come see how you're doing – see if you needed anything?"

Teyla pulled her headphones off her head, set them and her music player aside on her nightstand. "Company would be nice." She motioned him over.

Sitting down next to her, Ronon's keen green eyes scanned her work. "Wow." He whistled softly. "There's a lot of stuff here. How can you keep it all straight?"

Laughing softly, Teyla leaned back against the pillows she'd nested against the headboard. "Years of experience, and my own crazy organization system," she admitted.

Ronon shook his head. "Amazing," he muttered. Holding out his hand, he offered her a sheaf of papers. "Here's what I drew today, in the tomb. I didn't know if you'd want to add them to your other notes or not."

Teyla eagerly took the drawings and flipped through them. "Wow," she said. "You've got a nice chunk of the wall murals here." Pushing everything else to the end of the bed, she lined the drawings up together to make a miniature black-and-white mural across the bland beige coverlet. "These are amazing!"

Ruddy red crept up Ronon's neck. "Thank you."

Some of the art Ronon had copied contained subtle shadings of Atlantian influence, but the vast majority was pure Egyptian. Touching two fingers to her lips, she intently examined the drawings, piecing together the story the murals made. "These chronicle the last days of his life," Teyla said softly. "Here – these hieroglyphs mean 'great sickness.' And these, 'Anubis waits to take the breath' or 'life' – I can't tell, it's smudged."

"Sorry," Ronon apologized. "I must have smudged it while drawing. Do you have pictures of that area?"

Teyla dug through her photos and pulled one out. "Ah, yes, here it is. 'Anubis waits to take the breath of the Pharaoh, Beloved of Two Lands.'" She stared at Ronon's drawing again. "We were right. He was crowned king. Whether this means of Egypt—"

"—Or maybe Atlantis—" Ronon supplied.

"—Or both!" Teyla's breath caught. "We can't be sure. 'Two Lands' often refers to Upper and Lower Egypt, especially back in the time of the Pharaohs. But the article 'the' is also used in conjunction with 'Beloved of Two Lands,' making it 'Beloved of _the_ Two Lands.' That's traditionally, when the old king dies and the new takes over as ruler of both. But this just says 'Beloved of Two Lands' – is it a typo, or does that mean they're acknowledging his Atlantian heritage?" She raised her voice. "Guys, come here a minute!"

Elizabeth, John, and Rodney came rushing in. In excited tones, Teyla told of her discovery. "It's not much," she admitted. "But it could be proof, in addition to what we've already found."

Ronon silently got up and moved to sit on the other side of the bed as Weir and Sheppard crowded close to look over Teyla's shoulder. "Oh, I wish I could read hieroglyphic!" Elizabeth cried.

John nodded decisively, his hazel eyes going intently from sketch to photo and back again. "Yes – I think you're on to something. While 'typos,' as you put it, aren't uncommon in tombs, we _have_ to look at the other evidence provided for us. So far, everything points to the tomb belonging to someone who traveled from a great distance away – Atlantis, obviously, since we've found Atlantian writing in the tomb as well."

Weir, gripping John's shoulder so hard her knuckles were white, gently shook him. "Proof!" she exulted. "Proof we were right!"

"Hang on," Rodney said. "We don't know _for sure_. We won't know _for sure_ unless – okay, okay, _until_ – we find the next riddle to lead us to the next clue on the road to find Atlantis."

"Oh, McKay, stop being such a pessimist," John said. "You saw as well as I the Lantian art on those walls. And you heard Elizabeth when she read the writing on the outer sarcophagus. If _that_ isn't proof enough for you, I don't know what will be!"

Rodney sniffed. "I'm not being pessimistic," he argued. "I'm being _realistic_. There _is_ a difference."

"And here, look at this." Teyla pointed to another drawing, and the corresponding photo she'd taken. "Not only is this art Atlantian influenced, it's done in a style that wasn't introduced in Egypt until many, many years later: By Akhenaton, when he created Amarna, and the new style of art that came with it. While there are marked differences – the lack of feminine hips in the males, and no elongated heads on anyone – there are still differences from the norm. The king looks _different_, not like how the Pharaohs of Egypt had been drawn for centuries, and would continue to be drawn for centuries after. Looking at his facial features, at articles of his jewelry and clothing, at his posture – it looks like other Atlantian drawings and artifacts that have been discovered."

Elizabeth pressed her hands to her mouth, eyes sparkling with verve. "There have to be more," she whispered.

Teyla nodded. "That's just what I was thinking."

"More _what_?" Ronon asked.

"Atlantians," Elizabeth said. "While it's possible that the Atlantian who is – or could be, yes, Rodney, we get it – buried in that tomb taught the Egyptian artists all this, it's _also_ possible others survived. Artists, for instance. I don't think even the best teacher in the world could have taught his students how to so perfectly reproduce Atlantian art of the magnitude of that on the walls of the tomb. Not without generations of teaching, anyway. There had to have been other Atlantians who escaped, and they survived to paint the walls of their fellow's tomb." She gave a little hop. "Oh, this is so much bigger than I thought!"

"Bigger than any of us thought," Ronon agreed grimly.

"We're so _close_!" Elizabeth said, her obvious excitement tinged by only a touch of frustration.

"Only tomorrow will tell how close or far away we'll be," Rodney predicted.

Though the warning on Teyla's mirror had been long forgotten, none of them got much sleep that night.

And, in a hotel room not far away, another quietly plotted his next move.

_-To Be Continued-_

**bailey1ak**: Thank you! I'm glad you, too, were excited to see what was found in the tomb. I could hardly wait to announce it, it was driving me crazy trying to keep the secret! As much as I wish they could all go about their work and forget the danger – I had to bring it back to the forefront. I'm glad you liked everyone's reactions! That's a very good point – at least if they did all share the room, they wouldn't have to worry too much! Though it might get just a tad crowded. LOL Thank you so much for the review, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

**The City of Atlantis**: Oops! Sorry if I creeped you out too much, there. I know, me too! To know that someone had been _that close_ to me, while I was in the shower. . . -shudders- Total _Psycho_ moment! LOL Must be! Oh, good, thank you! I promise, I'm trying to keep things on a halfway steady basis – but I have to go with the flow of the Muse, where she takes me! Really? Wow, cool! I'm glad you got to see Zahi. He's in his sixties – but still going strong! I love him to pieces. Could sit and listen to him talk all day. Thank you so much for the review, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

**Bunnylass**: Oh, I'm sorry! -hugs- Honestly, I never meant to scare you – at least not badly! – with the last chapter. But I know if were me, in the shower, coming out to find that, and knowing someone had been _that close_… I would have reacted that way, too. I'm glad you liked the part in the tomb! There's definitely more of that coming up soon – including what else the sarcophagus said! There's some translation in this chapter, though, for the walls, to make for it! I'm glad you liked the Ronon/Teyla moment! I can't resist throwing little things in, here and there, their reactions to each other and what's going on around them – but mostly each other. LOL I promise it's not _too_ much longer before the snitch's identity is revealed! Thank you so much for the review, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

**Alexiel974**: Wow, thank you! I'm glad you liked the details in the last chapter. I am having a total _blast_ writing about the tomb, kind of living my dream vicariously through the characters! I promise there are still quite a few more secrets it has left to reveal in the following chapters. Sorry if I scared you _too_ much with the message on the mirror. Kind of scared myself with that one, really. But I promise I threw a lot of interesting stuff into this chapter to make up for it! Thank you so much for the review, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

**sparklyshimmer2010**: Sorry if I creeped you out _too_ much in the last chapter! Yes, the bad guy (who will, for the moment, remain unnamed LOL) definitely wanted to show the traitor on the team (who will also, for the moment, remain unnamed!) who was _really_ in control. And perhaps there was a tad bit of a personal level to the attack, too. . . But I'd better shut up before I blow something. LOL Oh, I know! I can hardly wait to unveil the identity of the traitor, but at the same time I'm afraid to. Any way I go, I'm afraid I'll get death threats or something. :P Thank you so much for the review, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

**Erin87**: Thank you so much! I'm very honored and humbled that you're enjoying my story. I've always wanted to do a story with an Egypt/Atlantis tie, like the show did bridging the two with _SG-1_ into _Atlantis_, so I'm glad you're finding enjoyment! And the sparky moments, yes – fun to write as well! Well – I will promise it won't be too much longer before the traitor is revealed, whoever he/she is! Thank you so very much for the review, and I hope you continue to enjoy my fic!


	18. An Unexpected Visitor

Please see first chapter for disclaimer, rating, warnings, pairings, etc.

Part 18/?

**Author's Note**: Goodness! My apologies for taking _so long_ to update this story! Firstly, I hit a bit of a dry spell when it came to this story, but hearing Dr. Zahi Hawass actually speak _in person_ helped kick-start things a bit, as well as obtaining a few more reference materials (very nice, very large reference materials!). My beta, as well, has had a very busy life as of late, and has just now had the chance to sit down and devote time to work on this chapter. We both apologize for the very long wait for this, and sincerely hope that you never again have to wait this long! Thank you so much for your patience, and we hope you enjoy this chapter!

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-Chapter 17-

_An Unexpected Visitor_

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"Quiet as a tomb," John reported.

Teyla looked up from her breakfast, teetering on the cusp between the calories and caffeine kicking in and the dragging fatigue from her basically sleepless night. "I'm sorry-- You were saying-- What?"

Her old friend sat down next to Elizabeth, simultaneously reaching to grab a muffin. "Just checked in with the night guards," he said. "They reported no activity in the Valley last night. Thus, 'quiet as a tomb.'"

McKay, sitting by himself in the corner with his laptop precariously balanced across his lap and a cup of steaming coffee in his free hand, moaned. "Not funny, Sheppard."

John grinned. "Well, _I_ thought it was."

Ronon finished his coffee and set his mug on the table with a decisive click. "So what's on the docket for today?" he asked, pointedly steering the conversation in a different direction. Teyla resisted the urge to rub her forehead with both hands and chant, _Two of a kind, two of a kind!_ How, she wondered, could they both seem so chipper after the night they'd just had?

"More of the same," Elizabeth responded with a smile at the big man. Her gaze shifted to Teyla, who blinked in momentary confusion until she realized the other woman was responding to Ronon's question, not echoing her own thought. "If you want to work in the actual burial chamber today, I'm more than willing to take over documenting the tomb paintings."

"That would be great," Teyla said, relieved Elizabeth had suggested it. She hadn't gotten a good look at even half the objects in the tomb the day before. A chance to climb on the completed bridge and see everything she could was too tantalizing to pass up. Her energy level perked up at the very thought of doing so. She pushed her own plate away, suddenly eager to get back to the Valley.

As they left the hotel, Ronon fell into step with her leaned in close. "Could I work with you again today?" he asked. A small smile curled up one corner of his mouth. "I'm no archeologist, but I have to admit I'm suffering from raging curiosity about what all is in the tomb."

"That would be very helpful," Teyla agreed readily, smiling back.

"So," his smile turned into a mischievous grin, "what did I just get myself into?"

She launched into an explanation of how they would be stabilizing the fragile artifacts _in situ_ before carefully lifting them onto padded stretchers and moving them from the tomb over to the long-empty KV9. Once there the objects would be examined in closer detail by one of Zahi's most trusted colleagues.

"I just hope I get a chance to examine them soon," she sighed, "before they are removed to the Cairo Museum. Yes, I will be handling them as we clear the tomb, but I want to be able to _study_ them."

McKay cracked off a harsh laugh from the shotgun seat, which he'd claimed he deserved due to his bad back and delicate stomach. "Good luck with _that_. Once the antiquities services gets its hands on what _we_ found for them, you'll have about as much chance as a snowball has in--"

"Okay, everybody," Sheppard announced loudly, "we're here."

Teyla gave his shoulder a grateful squeeze as she climbed out of the seat behind him.

The temperature in the Valley was already well on its way to 100 degrees by the time the expedition reached the tomb. Rodney, not even noticing the chilly silence being directed toward him, immediately went off to continue his mapping project. Elizabeth, after exchanging eloquent looks with the others, settled in to document the tomb paintings. Teyla, Ronon and John got right to work in the burial chamber, their careful hands starting with the objects closest to the entrance, wrapping then placing delicate though remarkably well-preserved items in shallow trays to be transported. They all kept bottles of water close, constantly reminding each other to drink. The last thing they needed was for one of them to land in the hospital because of heat exhaustion or dehydration.

By mid-afternoon, they had a good portion of the front of the tomb cleared. That was when John let out an excited yell. "Teyla! Ronon! Come here, look at this!"

Teyla capped off her water bottle. Followed closely by Ronon, she very carefully threaded her way over to Sheppard. He leaned over something propped against the wall directly across the tomb from where they'd been working on a large gold-leaf covered wooden chest. "What's up?"

"Look!" John pointed with his flashlight. Gold glittered on the jumble of objects piled together against the wall, the beam highlighting scenes of war and racing. "Chariots! The F-16s of Ancient Egypt." He sighed wistfully.

Teyla rolled her eyes. Nudging her friend away, she knelt to crane her head around the collection of dismantled pieces, trying to count. "Five, as near as I can tell," she reported. "That's almost as many as were found in King Tutankhamun's burial chamber."

John and Ronon crowded close. "They were used!" the former exulted. "Look at the wear on these wheels." He carefully touched one with a gloved finger.

She wiped sweat off her forehead with the back of her arm. "Did he take Egypt to war?" she wondered aloud. "Or did he just enjoy racing with the Egyptians?" Another question with no answers. The number of those seemed to keep growing.

Elizabeth appeared in the doorway, the beam of her flashlight finding them. "What's with all the yelling?" she asked breathlessly. "Did you find something?"

"Chariots!" John cried. He turned towards Weir, his face lit with the boyish enthusiasm Teyla remembered from years ago. "Five chariots!"

Teyla stood and brushed off the knees of her jeans. "We'll have to leave these for next-to-last, before we start work on the sarcophagi," she decided. "It will be too hard to get them out otherwise. We don't want to damage them."

John looked disappointed as he also straightened. "True," he sighed. "Man, I hope I get a chance to examine those babies." He tossed another wistful glance over his shoulder.

"Fast?" Ronon asked, gazing at the chariots with a gleam in his eyes.

"Not you too." Teyla went back to the chest.

Behind her, John said, "Yes! Very fast, and very maneuverable. For that era, it would have been the next best thing to flying."

Shaking her head while pressing her lips together against a laugh, Teyla resumed carefully brushing thousands of years' worth of accumulated dust and sand off the chest. Running her fingers along the hieroglyphs inscribed along the lid, she smiled slightly. So far she was really enjoying her job – most of the Egyptian objects the Atlantian pharoah had collected were at the front of the tomb. Elizabeth had spotted the majority of things he'd brought with him farther back. The other woman was chafing, anxious to get to work, but she couldn't until Teyla finished. Then, while Elizabeth worked on the Atlantian objects, Teyla hoped to find time to examine the Egyptian artifacts closely.

Ronon appeared next to her. "Ready to move it?" he asked.

"Yes." They got good grips on the edges before lifting it up and over onto the half-full stretcher waiting for it. "There we go." Teyla let out her breath, gently tapping the lid with her hand. "Safe and sound." She glanced at her watch. "Come on. Time for another water break."

They moved out into the clearer air of the Valley itself, taking off their masks before drinking deeply. John joined them a moment later, slapping dust off his clothes. He made a wry face. "Have you ever seen so much dust in your life?" he asked.

"You've seen more than I. Your family had far more excavation experience than mine," Teyla said wistfully.

John's lips twisted ruefully. "Would you kill me if I said I really didn't pay that much attention to the dust, back then?"

Teyla laughed and shook her head, then looked down at herself. "I need a shower. By the time we finish clearing the tomb, we're going to pay to replace the interior of the jeep we rented."

Ronon glanced at his watch. "The Valley closes in another hour and a half. We probably have enough time to finish filling that last stretcher tray, though, right?"

"Yes. We've made a good start today. We should be able to finish excavating most of the Egyptian artifacts tomorrow. Then, the day after, Elizabeth can get to work on the Atlantian things while John and I have closer looks at what we've already salvaged."

Adjusting their masks back over their faces, the three started back into the tomb. Just as Teyla was about to step inside, a loud scream echoed from across the Valley. As they whirled toward the horrifying sound, Elizabeth and McKay came scrambling out to join them.

Just as John and Ronon took a couple of half-running steps in that direction, Teyla at their elbows, McKay's yelped, "Wait! Stop!" brought all three swinging back around. Eyes nearly popping out of his head, the Canadian scientist gabbled, "What if it's a trap? Or, or, or a diversion? You know, get us -- some of us -- out of the way so they can get at--" He flapped a frantic hand at the tomb entrance behind him.

Dex and Sheppard exchanged a quick, tense look, agreement flashing between them. As John took a reluctant step back, Ronon turned swiftly to Teyla. "Can you use one of these?" he demanded.

She glanced down. He held a knife extended hilt-first toward her. "Yes," she replied tersely. Curling her slim fingers around the hilt, she took it from him.

"Then c'mon." He took off running in the direction from which the scream had come, Teyla easily keeping pace with him.

As they approached the pile of rubble between themselves and KV9, Ronon stuck out a cautionary arm, bringing them to a skidding stop just short of it. Under his breath, he hissed, "Stay behind me!" and moved forward with catlike stealth. It was no time to argue gender equality. Teyla gritted her teeth, but obeyed.

The American diver reached the edge of the rocky mound. Very slowly, he eased an eye around it. So closely did Teyla follow him, though, she had to duck sharply backward when he abruptly straightened. He gave her a quick glance and moved out of her way. "Take a look," he said.

She did, and gasped. "Salima! We must go to her!"

Ronon put himself in front of her again. "It could still be some kind of trap," he warned, "so keep a sharp eye out for trouble."

Teyla found it hard to keep her eyes from focusing exclusively on her friend, however. The Egyptian woman leaned against the rocks just outside the tomb's entrance, both hands over her face as she shook in obvious distress. Unconsciously picking up their pace in response, they swiftly crossed the intervening distance.

"Salima!" Teyla called. She started to reach out to the other woman. Noticing the knife still gripped in her fist, she thrust it quickly back at Ronon and took hold of her shoulders. "Salima, what is it? What is wrong?"

Dr. Ikram startled violently, then dropped her hands to look up at them with wide dark eyes. Clawing her mask down with one hand, "It--it-it--" she stammered, as she gestured wildly at the gaping hole in the rock wall just to her left with the other.

Teyla and Ronon looked at each other. "No trap," he said softly, "and I don't think it's a diversion, either. I'll go take a look, check out what scared her so badly."

"Not alone," she countered firmly. "Salima, wait here. We will be right back."

Stepping carefully over the power cords snaking into KV9, they entered the tomb. Teyla's eyes darted around the normal organized clutter of an archaeological dig's cataloguing process, and were almost immediately drawn to a tipped-over spotlight next to a large pottery jar, of the kind used to hold foodstuffs for the Pharaoh's sustenance in his afterlife. Its lid lay shattered into several pieces on the dusty stone floor.

Ronon put out a restraining hand. "Let me set the light back up first," he said in a very low voice. Teyla nodded tightly, her heart stuttering and jumping in her chest as she watched him lift the tripod-mounted light. Without willing it, she swayed forward as the lamp's beam swung up and around, then steadied on the earthen container. . . .

Even as terror exploded inside Teyla, Ronon was in motion: pivoting, his long arms snatching her up and crushing her against his chest as he ran them out of the tomb. She tried to suck in breath enough to scream. All she could manage, though, was muffled, uncontrollable coughing as she inhaled dust from Ronon's shirt and his suddenly acrid sweat. And burning behind her eyelids was the image she knew would haunt her nightmares for years to come: Not the desiccated remains of fruit or bread or meat, but an unwrapped mummy, its limbs hideously twisted into inhuman positions, its head rocked back on a cruelly stretched out neck as it stared at them with eyeless sockets and a long-silent scream of terror.

_-To Be Continued-_


End file.
